MEN’S BASKETBALL

As expected, Creighton has been picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball title. 

The preseason Valley polls were released on Tuesday with Wichita State being picked fourth. Creighton received 38 of the 40 first-place votes, the other two going to second place Illinois State. 

Northern Iowa was picked to finish third. 

Creighton’s pick as the Valley favorite isn’t surprising. The Bluejays are coming off a 29-6 season where they reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament. They return last year’s MVC player of the year, Doug McDermott, who has also been named an AP preseason All-American. 

Creighton is ranked No. 16 in the preseason AP polls, the only Valley team represented in the top 25. 

McDermott leads the all-MVC preseason team and was named the preseason player of the year. Joining him are Evansville’s Colt Ryan, Illinois State’s Jackie Carmichael, Indiana State’s Jake Odum, and Drake’s Ben Simons.

Wichita State’s Carl Hall was one of four players named honorable mention. 

Hall is one of two returning seniors for the Shockers, the other being Demetric Williams. The duo looks to lead a relatively young Shocker squad, most of which will be seeing extensive playing time this season for the first time. 

WSU is coming off a 27-win season and its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2006. The Shockers have won 56 games over the past two season, the best in WSU history and the second-best two-year stretch in MVC history. 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Wichita State women’s basketball team received its highest preseason honor on Monday when it was picked to finish second in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference polls.

Creighton was picked to win the Valley with 26 first-place votes. WSU received 12 first-place votes while Illinois State received the final two. 

Creighton’s Carli Tritz was chosen as the preseason player of the year in the Valley. Wichita State’s Jessica Diamond was named to the preseason all-conference team along with Tritz, Northern Iowa’s Jacqui Kalin, Illinois State’s Jamie Russell, and Missouri State’s Christiana Shorter. 

WSU matched a school record with 20 wins a year ago and advanced to the second round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The Shockers are returning three starters and return four of their top five scorers. 

The Shockers’ regular season begins Nov. 11 at Louisiana State. They host Central Oklahoma on Sunday at 2 p.m. in its final exhibition game. 

WSU defeated Harding University 88-47 last week in its first exhibition game.