2023 MVC preseason awards are out. See where Bradley basketball was ranked, all-MVC picks
PEORIA — The Bradley Braves will defend their Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship by starting as the No. 3 team in the 2023 preseason poll.
The MVC preseason poll, released Tuesday, tabbed Drake as the favorite for the third straight season in a vote of coaches, sports information directors and media. A veteran Northern Iowa team took the No. 2 spot and Bradley followed at No. 3.
Bradley forward Malevy Leons landed a spot on the first-team all-MVC squad. BU point guard Duke Deen earned a place on the third-team all-MVC squad.
'The Gentle Giant': Ex-Manual and Bradley basketball forward Tom Wilson dies
Drake star Tucker DeVries was voted preseason MVC Player of the Year.
The Braves beat Drake, 73-61, for the regular-season Valley championship in front of a sellout crowd at Carver Arena on Feb. 26 last season. Bradley then rolled all the way to the Valley championship game at Arch Madness in St. Louis before Drake beat them, 77-51, to take the automatic bid for the NCAA tournament.
The Braves went on to the NIT and a first-round loss to Wisconsin.
The Missouri Valley Conference invited coaches and 2-3 players selected from each team to attend 20-minute interview sessions in St. Louis at Enterprise Center on Tuesday as the poll was announced.
Bradley coach Brian Wardle was first up on stage in his return to the place where BU was beaten in a rematch with Drake in the Valley title game last spring. He was flanked by guards Connor Hickman and Duke Deen and forward Malevy Leons.
"Bad feelings," Wardle said, looking around. "Right when I walked in — I could sense with these three players, too — it bothered me. Last time I was in this building, how we performed. I watched that game again about two weeks ago. Just ran out of gas and we didn't execute and we looked tired. The lesson for us is we have to sustain that energy, that excitement through a whole season.
"Hopefully we'll be back in a position to compete at a high level in this building."
Drake received 24 first-place votes and 558 total points while edging UNI in the rankings. The Panthers were the second choice with 19 first-place votes and 524 total points.
Bradley earned three first-place tallies and 487 points, while Indiana State (4th, 402), Belmont (5th, 400), and Missouri State (6th, 386) were tightly bunched for the next three positions. Illinois State finished eighth.
First practice: Why the Bradley looked so different as official practices began
Connor Hickman was snubbed
Bradley guard Connor Hickman did not get a place on the first-, second- or third-team all-MVC squads, an oversight he'll use as motivation. The two-way guard heads into the 2023-24 season physically jacked — he's the strongest player on the team — and holds a key leadership role.
"Last year I showed some flashes, had some games, but I don't think I was overall consistent enough to really have proven anything yet," Hickman said. "So I think this is a big year for me as far as proving what I can do."
Wardle stepped in and championed his player. "I challenge everyone here, if there's a better on-ball defender and guard defender than Connor Hickman in the league, show me film," he said. "It's not always about the stats. It's about great discipline and great defense and Connor is a great two-way player and leader, too.
"Hey, take receipts, Connor, let's go."
What they said
• Braves forward Malevy Leons, on being back inside Enterprise Center for the first time since a 77-51 loss to Drake in the Arch Madness title game last March: "Last time we were here it wasn't the greatest feeling. … kind of aggravates me. It's a reminder of what we're trying to do this year."
• Bradley guard Connor Hickman, on how the team has changed during his time here: "My first year … I didn't think we were a very connected group and not a lot of leadership, either. Second year, the coaches started pushing leadership more and being a connected group. That had great success and it's something we're trying to replicate this year. Really pushing leadership and listening to each other, so we don't let others down. Help them be successful. I think our coaches have done a great job of (stressing) the importance of having leaders that others can listen to."
• Wardle, on his growth as a coach while competing in the Valley: "I've been humbled so many times in my career. This league will humble you. It's a very well-coached, tough league. Really good basketball. I'm more motivated now than I was 5-6 years ago when I was trying to build the program. There are some things I want to get done here."
• Bradley guard Duke Deen, on his expanding leadership role: "I just tried to come in (last season) and buy into the system. Coach wanted me to take on more of a leadership role because I am very vocal -- as we all know, I talk a lot. So it was easy for me to come in and deal with the guys and be able to lead them and get them to trust me as a leader. So this year I feel like I've taken a further step of being a leader on and off the court and keeping a level head."
• Deen, on his preseason expectations and approach to his second season in the Valley: "My mindset is just to go out there and work hard, do what I do best. I learned a lot from last season, the Valley is a very different league, very well-coached league, very disciplined league from what I'm used to. You have to execute every night. I feel like I've taken a bigger step in my game with being locked in every day."
2023 MVC men's basketball preseason poll
Here are the poll results, with points and first-place votes in parentheses:
Drake 558 (54)
Northern Iowa 524 (10)
Bradley 487 (3)
Indiana State 402
Belmont 400
Missouri State 386 (1)
Murray State 292
Illinois State 237
UIC 157
Evansville 95
Valparaiso 66
2023-24 preseason all-MVC teams
First team — Bowen Born, UNI; Donovan Clay, Missouri State; Tucker DeVries, Drake; Malevy Leons, Bradley; Cade Tyson, Belmont.
Second team — Tytan Anderson, UNI; Robbie Avila, Indiana State; Darnell Brodie, Drake; Julian Larry, Indiana State; Rob Perry, Murray State; Kenny Strawbridge Jr., Evansville.
Third team — Darius Burford, Illinois State; Duke Deen, Bradley; Xavier Johnson, Southern Illinois; Chance Moore, Missouri State; Toby Okani, UIC; Isaiah Swope, Indiana State.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: MVC preseason poll, all-MVC picks: Bradley basketball No. 3 in Valley
