Taking Down The Shockers

(St. Louis, MO) – Who can take down the Shockers? Dan Muller thinks his Illinois State Redbirds can, or so he told me today at the Missouri Valley Conference media day.

We reported earlier today that the Shocker vote wasn’t unanimous and we found out Muller was the lone dissenter in this season’s poll.

There is good reason for Muller to be confident in his Redbird team. The Redbirds won two games in the College Basketball Insider tournament at the end of last season and have their backcourt returning in Daison Knight and Bobby Hunter and they are loaded with tremendous incoming talent.

Deontae Hawkins and MiKyle McIntosh are highly touted forwards with athleticism and talent. Hawkins originally signed with Wichita State, but wound up in Normal in what was a controversial topic at last year’s media day. Both players will be upper level MVC players.

Add sophomore shot blocking sensation Reggie Lynch and the Redbirds might just have a shot at taking on WSU.  Muller says pre-season rankings don’t matter, but he voted for his team because he believes by season’s end they will be battling for the top Valley spot.

Northern Iowa was picked second in the conference and Head Coach Ben Jacobson told me he thinks Wichita’s success is good for the entire league but he also likes his team’s chances to be really relevant at season’s end because his  team is stronger and deeper than a year ago.

Missouri State was picked third in the voting with Evansville and Illinois State rounding out the top five.

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