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Missouri Valley overview

Blue Jays, Purple Aces should fight it out for title

Special to CNNSI.com

Creighton's Dana Altman has turned down job offers from bigger schools. Elsa Hash/Allsport

Order of Finish 1. Creighton 2. Evansville 3. Indiana State 4. Southern Illinois 5. Southwest Missouri State 6. Illinois State 7. Bradley 8. Drake 9. Northern Iowa 10. Wichita State

Top storylines

Creighton fans were relieved and delighted when coach Dana Altman decided to stay in Omaha. He was considered a serious candidate for the job at Miami after Leonard Hamilton left for the NBA last June. Losing Altman scant days before July recruiting might have set the program back a bit. Altman has built a solid foundation. The Blue Jays are favored to win the regular-season MVC championship as eight of the team's top 11 players return from a year ago.

Indiana State has returned from the dead behind the leadership of fourth-year coach Royce Waltman. Indiana State's 2000 NCAA Tournament at-large bid marked the first time the Sycamores have earned a postseason bid since the Larry Bird-led team lost in the 1979 NCAA championship game to Magic Johnson and Michigan State.

Wichita State's Mark Turgeon is the league's only new coach, replacing the fired Randy Smithson, who was 55-62 in four years. Turgeon was 25-29 the last two years at Jacksonville State. Look for Turgeon to turn Wichita State around, though his first season won't be a picnic.

Players to Watch

Top Three Players

Ryan Sears, G, Creighton • Here's the key stat that defines the worth of point guard Sears (11.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 5.3 apg, 2.4 spg): He's made just 189 turnovers in three years, or 2.05 per game. Matt Renn, F, Indiana State • Renn, a 6-6 senior, averaged 10.8 points a year ago and was second in the league with 7.3 rebounds per game. He might move out to the perimeter this season. Craig Snow, F, Evansville • Snow, a 6-7 senior, missed two games with a knee injury last season, but was still voted first-team All-MVC. He averaged 16.3 points and 6.0 rebounds.

Top Newcomer

Traves Wilson, F, Illinois State • Wilson is a 6-3 sophomore transfer from Arizona, where he averaged 3.1 points and 2.1 rebounds as a freshman two years ago. He'll make huge contributions for a team that needs to bounce back from a 10-20 season.

Coaches

Hot Coach

Royce Waltman, Indiana State • If an athletic director from an upper-level Division I conference needed a coach, he would do well to contact Waltman, who has been a winner at every level. He¹s done wonders with a formerly dead-end program at ISU.

Coach on the Hot Seat

Tom Richardson, Illinois State • Injuries, defections and inexperience combined to make Richardson's first season at Illinois State a 10-20 nightmare. He's got more time, but Kevin Stallings set high standards in Normal before leaving for Vanderbilt. Redbird fans won't want to drift too far from those standards for an extended period.

Mark Your Calendar

Dec. 30, Evansville at Creighton • An early conference game could set an early tone for the league¹s regular-season champion. Feb. 4, Creighton at Indiana State • The Blue Jays travel for a rugged road game. Feb. 21, Evansville at Indiana State • Another road test for a conference contender.

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