A look at the Missouri Valley Conference

1. Wichita State

Coach: Gregg Marshall

2014-15: 30-5, 17-1 MVC (1st)

Star power: G Ron Baker and G Fred VanVleet start seniors seasons as the most highly honored guards in Shockers history. There are MVC guards with better resumes and that short list includes Oscar Robertson, Junior Bridgeman and Hersey Hawkins. They’ve had the ball in their hands for much of this program-changing run and they’re back for one more.

On the bright side: It is hard to find a weakness. WSU has 13 scholarship players, all of whom are talented, and walk-on Conner Frankamp to build lineups from. It is experienced in the backcourt and deep with size in the frontcourt. There isn’t a style this team can’t play.

Compelled to mention: The frontcourt plans start with senior transfer Anton Grady and his surgically repaired knees (three times). An injury or two won’t derail this team, but it could change the trajectory. Expectations are high. The Shockers proved expert handling them in past seasons.

Come mid-March: Fans should be choosing from three enticing NCAA first-round sites — Des Moines, St. Louis and Oklahoma City. WSU plays a strong non-conference schedule that should be weighty enough for it to secure a top-four seed. Many fans plan to spend early April in Houston for the Final Four. The Shockers are capable, given good health and the right bracket.

2. Northern Iowa

Coach: Ben Jacobson

2014-15: 31-4, 16-2 MVC (2nd)

Star power: When the Panthers needed a play last season, they threw the ball to C Seth Tuttle, the MVC’s Player of the Year. This year, it’s G Wes Washpun, F Paul Jesperson and G Jeremy Morgan who must create. Washpun is a blur who made 39.5 percent of his three-pointers last season. Jesperson is also a strong shooter (42.9 percent from three) who will take on a bigger role in his second season at UNI. Morgan is a good defender who is dynamic on fast breaks.

On the bright side: The Panthers can go a long way with experienced guards and the roster is loaded. Senior Matt Bohannon started every game last season and sophomore Wyatt Lohaus is a strong playmaker and shooter. UNI can fill the court with shooters and handle the ball with care and precision. That will make them tough to beat and give their big men room to develop. Don’t count out juco transfer G Aarias Austin as a factor. Jacobson doesn’t bring in a transfer without a good reason.

Compelled to mention: UNI will depend on sophomores Klint Carlson, Bennett Koch and Ted Friedman, who have combined for three starts (all by Friedman in 2013-14) and 66 points in their previous three seasons (all three redshirted). While they are all entering their third season, which should be good for basketball IQ and strength, their track record is unproven.

Come mid-March: The Panthers could make a case for the NCAA Tournament. The schedule includes Colorado State, Stephen F. Austin, North Carolina, New Mexico and Iowa State. Strong perimeter play might carry the Panthers into the MVC schedule with a good record. It’s more likely that they end up in the NIT, but don’t underestimate a team with good guards that knows how to win.

3. Illinois State

Coach: Dan Muller

2014-15: 22-13, 11-7 MVC (T-3rd)

Star power: F DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell is a multidimensional force who can score inside and out, rebound and defend. He averaged 12.8 points and 5.6 rebounds last season and shot 118 free throws despite missing seven games with a broken right hand. He earned MVC Newcomer of the Year honors. With G Daishon Knight gone, this is his team. Cutting down on turnovers will make him more of a threat.

On the bright side: The Redbirds are big and athletic and Muller enjoys growing continuity in the program in his fourth season. He returns five players who started games last season and G Paris Lee, an All-MVC Defensive Team pick, is in his third season. If new faces such as F Nick Banyard (who redshirted last season after transferring from New Mexico) and F Quintin Brewer (senior transfer from Bethune-Cookman) adjust smoothly, the Redbirds could build an NCAA resume. The schedule — San Diego State, Maryland, Kentucky, Murray State, UAB, Saint Joseph’s — is brutal.

Compelled to mention: C Reggie Lynch transferred to Minnesota, robbing Muller of one of the MVC’s best big men after two seasons of growing pains were about to pay off. With Lynch, that schedule looks full of opportunity. Now, we’ll see. It might grind down the Redbirds. Last season represented a step forward with a win in the NIT. It won’t be easy to improve on that. While roster turnover is slowing, this remains a team without much experience in the MVC. Lee and F Tony Wills are the only Redbirds are entering their third seasons, the most tenure on the roster. Eight players are new.

Come mid-March: Another NIT bid looks likely. Credit Muller for assembling a tough schedule. If the Redbirds can win some high-profile games, the NCAA Tournament is a possibility. Illinois State last made the NCAA Tournament in 1998, the MVC’s second-longest drought behind Loyola (1985).

4. Loyola

Coach: Porter Moser

2014-15: 24-13, 8-10 MVC (6th)

Star power: G Milton Doyle is healthy after playing with a torn labrum in his right shoulder and missing 11 games with a sprained left ankle. He also has more help around him to show off his scoring and play-making skills. Doyle averaged 11.4 points, making 42 percent of his threes. His 15 blocks ranked second on the team and his 31 steals fourth. Expect F Montel James to improve in his second season after transferring from Coffeyville Community College.

On the bright side: The Ramblers return eight of their top nine scorers from last season. They grabbed several confidence-building experiences in the post-season, thumping Indiana State 81-53 to advance to the MVC Tournament semifinals before winning the College Basketball Invitational in five games. Loyola finished the season 11-4. The addition of 6-foot-9 Coffeyville transfer Maurice Kirby should give the Ramblers missing defense and rebounding.

Compelled to mention: Loyola remains a bit on the small size and needs Kirby to produce quickly. It must reduce turnovers and get to the line more often to make a big jump. Last season’s small lineups cost the Ramblers defensively and on the backboards. MVC opponents made 53.3 percent of their two-point shots against Loyola.

Come mid-March: Grabbing an NIT bid represents an important step for the Ramblers and their four seniors. The schedule includes New Mexico, Creighton, Toledo and Notre Dame. It’s challenging, but not overwhelming. Moser has the Ramblers moving in the right direction. Finishing in the top half of the MVC represents another good step.

5. Evansville

Coach: Marty Simmons

2014-15: 24-12, 9-9 MVC (5th)

Star power: G D.J. Balentine and C Egidijius Mockevicius are preseason All-MVC picks after grabbing All-MVC honors as juniors. That’s more high-end talent than any MVC team other than the Shockers. Balentine is a great scorer who feasts on threes and foul shots produced by his constant motion. Mockevicius possesses a soft touch around the basket (57.9-percent shooting) and led the Valley in rebounds (9.9 a game). He totaled 20 double-doubles last season, fourth in the NCAA.

On the bright side: Simmons is working with his most talented and experienced team in nine seasons with the Aces. Five starters are back and the roster boasts three seniors and eight juniors. The addition of F Willie Wiley and C Sergej Vucetic (both of whom redshirted last season) and freshman G Harris Brown should give the Aces depth they previously lacked. The Aces won the CollegeInsider.com Tournament and hope to follow the path of schools such as Missouri State, Saint Louis, VCU and others who used success in a minor post-season tournament as boost to the NIT or NCAA.

Compelled to mention: The Aces haven’t shown they can make a title run under Simmons. Their best MVC record is 10-8 in 2013. Other than Balentine, the Aces didn’t have a three-point shooter who scared defenses last season. Brown, who averaged 30.4 points as high school senior in Indianapolis, may help. Returners Adam Wing, Mislav Brzoja and Blake Simmons need to shoot better.

Come mid-March: The Aces, picked second in the MVC preseason poll, are on the clock to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999. This is the season to do it. An NIT bid is more likely. Evansville must show it’s capable of winning non-conference games against the likes of Providence and Arkansas and push through the 18-game MVC schedule with more consistent play. It lost home games to last-place Bradley and sixth-place Loyola last season and can’t repeat those type of performances.

6. Indiana State

Coach: Greg Lansing

2014-15: 15-16, 11-7 MVC (T-3rd)

Star power: The Sycamores are two seasons past the all-encompassing career of Terre Haute native Jake Odum, which means things are no longer defined by his absence. That means senior G Devonte Brown and G Brenton Scott, the MVC Freshman of the Year, are fully in charge. Brown is a good defender who averaged 11.9 points and earned second-team All-MVC honors and Most Improved Player. Scott made 44.4 percent of his threes, 50 percent in MVC games.

On the bright side: The Sycamores finished third or better three times in the past five seasons. They know how to compete and defense keeps them in games. Senior F Khristian Smith shot poorly last season after earning MVC Sixth-Man of the Year honors in 2014. A return to form for him would give Indiana State a significant boost. F Matt Van Scyoc, a transfer from The Citadel, should help. He averaged 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds as a sophomore before transferring. G Everett Clemons, a juco transfer, should take some play-making burden off Brown and Scott.

Compelled to mention: Indiana State is small after losing post players Justin Gant and Jake Kitchell. F T.J. Bell is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon in his right ankle. That leaves the Sycamores with three players 6-8 or taller, two of whom are freshmen (Bronson Kessinger is expected to redshirt) and juco transfer Niels Bunschoten. Sophomore C Brandon Murphy (6-7, 290) played in 22 games last season. Clemons’ ability to run the team is important because the Sycamores’ turnover percentage of 21 (according to Ken Pomeroy) ranked eighth-worst in MVC games.

Come mid-March: Don’t count out Indiana State sneaking into the top half of the MVC on defense, good guards and a sense of how to win. It’s averaged 10 MVC wins a season over the past five. Playing in the CBI or CIT will help in 2016-17, when Scott, Clemons and Van Scyoc are joined by more experienced big men.

7. Missouri State

Coach: Paul Lusk

2014-15: 11-20, 5-13 MVC (8th)

Star power: F Chris Kendrix started Missouri State’s final 15 games and scored in double figures seven times as a freshman. He averaged 13 points over a five-game stretch, highlighted by 20 points and eight rebounds against Indiana State. If the Bears exceed expectations, it will be because Kendrix continues to improve.

On the bright side: All five players who started most of the season are back and the turmoil caused by the suspension and departure of star Marcus Marshall in early January is past. G Dorrian Williams is a solid floor leader who doesn’t make mistakes. F Camyn Boone averaged 11.3 points in his final 12 games and F Loomis Gerring started 16 games. The remnants of the team that won 20 games in 2014 and started last season with high hopes is present. It isn’t clear if the Bears are whole after injuries and Marshall’s departure spoiled things. G Dequon Miller averaged 19 points and nine assists at Motlow (Tenn.) College and Lusk counts on him to juice an offense that failed to break 60 points 14 times in 18 MVC games.

Compelled to mention: The Bears shot miserably last season (40.6 percent) and committed 51 more turnovers than their opponents. They need shooters and passers to climb in the standings. C Tyler McCullough will miss some of the non-conference schedule as he recovers from shoulder surgery. MVC teams made 37.7 percent of their threes against the Bears, eighth-worst in the MVC.

Come mid-March: The Bears are largely starting over with three seniors and five newcomers. Most of this group will return in 2016-17. This season is about improving and keeping a core group together for the future. There’s a hint that the Bears possess enough talent and experience to surprise, especially if Miller can lead. There are too many questions, offensive and defensively, to expect postseason play.

8. Drake

Coach: Ray Giacoletti

2014-15: 9-22, 6-12 MVC (7th)

Star power: Sophomore G Reed Timmer averaged 11.5 points to nab spots on the MVC’s All-Freshman and All-Newcomer teams. He was forced to play some point guard and Giacoletti hopes the addition of Graham Woodward, a transfer from Penn State, will allow Timmer to play his more comfortable spot at shooting guard. Timmer made 35.6 percent of his threes and 86.1 percent of his foul shots.

On the bright side: Four starters are back and Woodward and F Kale Abrahamson, a transfer from Northwestern, practiced with the Bulldogs last season. The Bulldogs have built a Giacoletti-recruited team and this season should indicate if the future is bright. Giacoletti is thrilled with the potential of 7-foot freshman Dominik Olejniczak, from Poland.

Compelled to mention: There is one senior on the roster, which usually isn’t a recipe for success in the MVC. The Bulldogs struggled mightily on defense last season, allowing conference opponents to make 48.4 percent of their shots, worst in the MVC. Those problems speak to a lack of experience, size and athletic ability. Woodward and Abrahamson must immediately upgrade Drake’s talents and while both had their moments in the Big 10, neither was a full-time starter.

Come mid-March: Drake went 6-12 the past two seasons in the MVC. If it can approach .500 this season, the stage is set for a promising 2016-17. Avoiding the Thursday game in the MVC Tournament is a solid goal.

9. Southern Illinois

Coach: Barry Hinson

2014-15: 12-21, 4-14 MVC (9th)

Star power: Senior G Anthony Beane, a preseason All-MVC pick, carries the heaviest burden in the conference. He is SIU’s lone offensive threat and the focus of every thought by defenses. He is a two-time second-team All-MVC pick. His shooting numbers slumped last season after a superb sophomore season in which he made 47.1 percent of his shots and 39.4 percent of his threes. Last season, he dropped to 42.3 and 33.3. With the right people around him, Beane can be one of the MVC’s most dynamic players.

On the bright side: Beane is back and joined by starting F Sean O’Brien and G Tyler Smithpeters. F Bola Olaniyan is one of the MVC’s top rebounders. Hinson added juco point guards Mike Rodriguez and Leo Vincent to relieve Beane of ball-handling duties. If they can let Beane do what he does best, SIU’s offense will improve.

Compelled to mention: Teams scored way too easily on the SIU last season, especially from the three-point arc. It is hard to cobble together a good defense with nine newcomers. F Jordan Caroline, one of the MVC’s top freshmen, transferred to Nevada after last season, robbing SIU of a promising talent. Beyond Beane, the Salukis lack scoring punch.

Come mid-March: SIU coaches will be recruiting for next season. Hinson is entering his fourth year at SIU and has yet to produce a winning record. While his hiring seemed to be a great fit in 2012, digging out of the hole left by his predecessor was tough and the program is slipping back toward the bottom of the MVC. SIU finished in a tie for fourth in 2014 before last season’s disaster.

10. Bradley

Coach: Brian Wardle

2014-15: 9-24, 3-15 MVC (10th)

Star power: None. Senior G Ka’Darryl Bell has started 30 games and averaged 4.3 points in his career. Sophomore F Donte Thomas started five games last season and averaged 2.5 points. The Braves are light on everything, starting with a go-to player.

On the bright side: Wardle won 24 games in 2014 and 2015 at Green Bay and finished first in the Horizon League in 2014. Bradley’s future appears to be in good hands. Bradley, with its resources and support, should be one of the MVC’s top programs. Wardle will need time.

Compelled to mention: Bradley’s active roster includes 10 freshmen, Bell and Thomas. Senior C Mike Shaw quit basketball in late October because of back problems. The wreckage of coach Geno Ford’s final season will haunt Wardle for at least two seasons as he repairs the damage. Eight players from last season departed the program early, including promising freshman F Josh Cunningham. Wardle booted leading scorer Warren Jones in August for a violation of team rules.

Come mid-March: Wardle will leave St. Louis with a good idea about his roster’s potential. He will know if players such as G Antoine Pittman, G Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye and F Luuk van Bree are building blocks. If not, his recruiting needs grow. F Alex Foster, a transfer from Texas Tech, awaits for 2016-17.

This story was originally published November 5, 2015 at 8:21 AM with the headline "A look at the Missouri Valley Conference."