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The following conference preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the nation's most comprehensive look at all Division I teams, be sure to order the 2001-02 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518.
| Missouri Valley |
|---|
| Projected order of finish |
|---|
| 1 |
Illinois State |
6 |
Drake |
| 2 |
Creighton |
7 |
Southwest Missouri St. |
| 3 |
Southern Illinois |
8 |
Evansville |
| 4 |
Bradley |
9 |
Wichita State |
| 5 |
Indiana State |
10 |
Northern Iowa |
| |
| All-Conference Team |
|---|
| Pos. |
Name |
Year |
School |
PPG |
|
G
|
Tarise Bryson
|
SR
|
Illinois State
|
22.8
|
|
G
|
Kent Williams
|
JR
|
Southern Illinois
|
17.6
|
|
G
|
Kelyn Block
|
SR
|
Indiana State
|
14.6
|
|
F
|
Kyle Korver
|
JR
|
Creighton
|
14.6
|
|
F
|
Mike Wallace
|
SR
|
Southwest Missouri State
|
12.4
|
| |
| Player of the Year |
Tarise Bryson, SR, Illinois State
|
| Newcomer of the Year |
Rolan Roberts, JR, Southern Illinois
|
| Outlook |
|---|
|
It took a year, but Illinois State has recovered from the loss of former coach Kevin Stallings and is back on track in the Missouri Valley. Last season, the Redbirds of coach Tom Richardson were 21-9, this after going 10-20 in Richardson's debut season. The driving force behind that turnaround was guard Tarise Bryson, who led the league and was fourth in the nation in scoring, earning Valley player-of-the-year honors in the process. Bryson, a non-qualifier as a freshman, earned back his lost first season of eligibility over the summer by graduating. That's bad news for the rest of the league. Illinois State returns three other starters, including guards Shawn Jeppson and Shedrick Ford, both double-figure scorers a year ago. Creighton lost guards Ryan Sears and Ben Walker from last season's 24-8 team that won the Valley's regular season title and advanced to the NCAA tournament. Replacing that duo won't be easy, but the Bluejays return another double-figure scorer in the backcourt in 6-3 junior Terrell Taylor. Anchoring the frontcourt is preseason all-conference pick Kyle Korver, who can score, rebound and defend. Southern Illinois returns three starters, including guard Ken Williams, the Valley's second-leading returning scorer. The Salukis also gain the services of an impact newcomer, Virginia Tech transfer Rolan Roberts, a 6-6, 240-pound senior who averaged 13.1 points and 6.1 rebounds two years ago.
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