Next season

[Adunk33]

Illinois State is a huge question mark. I have heard the group sitting out were kicking the current team's butt in practice.

In my opinion, our biggest loss is Fayne. I am not upset over Yarbs, Evans or Tinsley graduating AT ALL. We will be better next year. I guarantee it, but who knows by how much.

Rumors starting that Copeland, and Hein are bowing out, and Jefferson could be too.

[IllinoisState]

Illinois State is a huge question mark. I have heard the group sitting out were kicking the current team's butt in practice.

In my opinion, our biggest loss is Fayne. I am not upset over Yarbs, Evans or Tinsley graduating AT ALL. We will be better next year. I guarantee it, but who knows by how much.

Rumors starting that Copeland, and Hein are bowing out, and Jefferson could be too.

Jefferson would be the main loss. I wouldn't worry about Copeland or Hein.

[Redbirds4Life]

Illinois State is a huge question mark. I have heard the group sitting out were kicking the current team's butt in practice.

In my opinion, our biggest loss is Fayne. I am not upset over Yarbs, Evans or Tinsley graduating AT ALL. We will be better next year. I guarantee it, but who knows by how much.

Rumors starting that Copeland, and Hein are bowing out, and Jefferson could be too.

Jefferson would be the main loss. I wouldn't worry about Copeland or Hein.

Never fun to lose guys, but at this point, they weren't going to be any good anyway...so hopefully Copeland and Jefferson get into a better spot for them and Hein can get to working on his MBA

[MissouriValleyUnite]

Makeup of ISUr flawed with too many guards who were carbon copies of each other. ISU needs defensive-minded players with toughness. Bruninga and Fisher packaged with Chastian help in that regard. Guards who shoot a lot, turn it over, and don’t play D are dime a dozen.

[Kip Dynamite]

For the first time in a long while I'm very excited about the Bears possibilities next year and beyond.

We have two experienced D1 players eligible next year (Josh Hall from Nevada and Tyrike Dixon from Middle Tennessee State), to go along with one of the top JUCO players in the country (center Gaige Prim who was just named the Region 5 Player of the Year and the WJCAC Player of the year avg. 20.5 pts/g & 11.5 Reb).

To go along with that, we also have guards Jamonta Black and teammate Dujaun Harris from Columbia Rockbridge (Mo) who are presently in contention to win the Missouri Class 6 title. We are also in hot pursuit of their prized teammate, Isiaih Mosley (offers from Mizzou, SMU, Mississippi State, etc..) he will be making his decision in a few weeks. If we were to get him then things would get crazy.

By adding Gaige Prim to the middle, It will free up Tulio to his more natural position and will prevent him from getting double teamed every time he touches the ball.

I have no idea where we will finish but have little doubt that the Bears will be much better next year.

[freddycat68]

BUMP. Time to revise and extend now that the final results are in:

1. Bradley (for the first time in decades, BU will get multiple 1st place votes in the preseason MVC polls)
2. Missouri State
3. Drake
4. UNI
5. Loyola
6. ISUr
7. Evansville
8. SIU
9. ISUb
10. Valpo

With the exception of Valpo, it's really hard to put any of these teams in the bottom half, and any team from the top half could drop to the bottom half with a BU-January-2019-like stretch. The Valley seems headed in the right direction. Agree with other posters that now is the time for better scheduling and for all these promising young coaches to go out there and kick the recruiting up a notch.

[BCPanther]

Extremely early look at 2019-20--

1-UNI- Everything back. AJ Green a year older. Phyfe back.
2-Bradley- Most everything back. Elijah Childs a year older
3-Loyola- Can Krutwig get into better shape? Life without Mullins.
4-Missouri State- Year 2 is always harder but good foundation there
5-Illinois State- Still very talented. Yarbrough leaving addition by subtraction
6-Drake- Year 2 is always harder. Everybody in new role.
7-Evansville- Lots of talent coming on board. Really McCarty's first year
8-Valpo- Lottich with lots to prove. Javon Freeman a year older.
9-Indiana State- Lansing is getting another year. So yeah....
10-Southern Illinois- Total rebuild. Barry left the cupboard bare.

I feel like I'm too high on Loyola and too low on Drake but this is a first guess that I'll change 84 times between now and then.

I'm still exactly where I was other than I'd put Valpo in a distant, distant, distant 10th and scoot the other two up.

[ACECARD]

Extremely early look at 2019-20--

1-UNI- Everything back. AJ Green a year older. Phyfe back.
2-Bradley- Most everything back. Elijah Childs a year older
3-Loyola- Can Krutwig get into better shape? Life without Mullins.
4-Missouri State- Year 2 is always harder but good foundation there
5-Illinois State- Still very talented. Yarbrough leaving addition by subtraction
6-Drake- Year 2 is always harder. Everybody in new role.
7-Evansville- Lots of talent coming on board. Really McCarty's first year
8-Valpo- Lottich with lots to prove. Javon Freeman a year older.
9-Indiana State- Lansing is getting another year. So yeah....
10-Southern Illinois- Total rebuild. Barry left the cupboard bare.

I feel like I'm too high on Loyola and too low on Drake but this is a first guess that I'll change 84 times between now and then.

I'm still exactly where I was other than I'd put Valpo in a distant, distant, distant 10th and scoot the other two up.

I would tend to agree. The Aces could escape the PIG next year all depending how well the new guys want to play defense. If they can play defense as well as Bradley, and No. Iowa, they will be a tough out. Defense will have to improve to escape Thursday.

[siudawgs]

Question for Bradley fans: Is there still optimism for Boya, or has his stock taken a dip? (Realize he had injury issues).

Question for UNI fans: How is Phyfe doing? Is he a question mark or is his return very likely?

[BravesBU]

Question for Bradley fans: Is there still optimism for Boya, or has his stock taken a dip? (Realize he had injury issues).

I think the overall consensus is there’s still a lot of optimism for Boya, but people aren’t as high on him as they were before the season. I think people are hopeful that he can start over Bar next year with a whole offseason to get better, but I think the expectations are more realistic now. People thought he’d be a difference maker from the beginning, and I think most people now realize he’s got a lot of upside, but he’s still a little raw. Still, in the limited action we saw of him, I felt he looked smoother than Bar did as a freshman and has a much higher ceiling. I’m excited to see more of him and Elijah Childs together.