In picking the players for Pre-season 1st Team All-MVC, comparing the MVC stats in conference play (and in Horizon play for LU), it looks like there are 5 players who stand out, all Juniors & Seniors.

This does not include new JC transfers and red-shirts, nor bias against Thomas for being a newcomer.

I would be interested in thoughts from other MVC fans.

GUARDS
(1) PPG 17.1 Walt Lemon Jr. Sr 6-3 178 Bradley (2) 3.6 APG
(4) PPG 14.7 Jake Odum Sr 6-4 170 Indiana State (1) 4.6 APG

FORWARDS/CENTERS
(2) PPG 15.2 Cleanthy Early Sr 6-8 215 Wichita St. (5) 4.8 RPG
(3) PPG 15.0 Christian Thomas Jr 6-5 220 Loyola U (1) 7.0 RPG
(7) PPG 10.8 Seth Tuttle Jr 6-8 221 Northern Iowa (2) 6.9 RPG

RUNNER UP
(5) PPG 12.3 Manny Arop Sr 6-6 215 Indiana State (5) 5.1 RPG

I only looked at points, rebounds (for the big guys), and assists (for the guards), although Thomas would have been 2nd in FG % and 2nd in FTA/G.

Wolfie is back doin' his thing again--I wonder how this compares with 63's list when he posts it--Subgod will have a comment I am sure.

One thing though--Wolfie does his homework. I shall go with him.

We are getting close , Gang !! Go RAMBLERS !!

I'll admit that it's hard to judge the Loyola players because I've never seen them play. I can't argue with his two guards. Lemon can light you up and Odum somehow gets things done. Someone who could be a factor there is the Shockers very own Ron Baker. He started for us the first 9 games of the season and then was out until the MVC tournament with a stress fracture in his foot. He was huge for us in the NCAA tournament and makes us a lot better. WSU spreads things around though and that could keep him off of the first team list. But he does it all and does it with a calm cool that is rare among people so young. Since you were only looking at conference stats and he missed the entire conference season, I understand he wouldn't have been considered. But watch out for him.

I expect Odum to be considered the top PG in the conference, but watch for Fred VanVleet of WSU as well. He really grew as a leader as the season went on but will probably be a strong candidate for second team but is a sleeper that could do more.

Another possible candidate for either first or second is Deon Mitchell of UNI. He has to find a little more consistency but has the tools and will be relied upon by the Cats this year.

If MSU makes a run this year, watch for Marcus Marshall to get some love. He was a dynamic young FR who has the ability to really take over a game.

With all of that said, my preseason first team list is as follows

Jake Odum, ISUb
Walt Lemon JR, BU
Ron Baker, WSU
Cleanthony Early, WSU
Seth Tuttle, UNI

I think Baker is going to have a big year for us so that's a gut feeling. He can play the 1-3 positions and guard the same.

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Christian Thomas will not make the first team, even though Fleet makes a good case. We still have a lot to prove, and many of the voters in this poll will dismiss his stats as being from the Horizon League. The voters might throw Loyola a bone and place Thomas on the Honorable Mention (2nd) team, but I would doubt that they'd bypass many of the league seniors and juniors to recognize Thomas for what is essentially a somewhat meaningless honorary title. The poll is conducted with votes from league coaches, sports information directors and media. My guess is he'll be in the first or second team after our first season in the league.

For reference, here is the press release from last year's MVC preseason poll. (Note Wichita State was picked 4th!)

http://www.mvc-sports.com/mbasketball/n ... all-title/

Loyola has already been voted last in the women's soccer poll (albeit by only one point), and none of the Loyola players were recognized on the pre-season all conference team. In doing a thorough, realistic examination of the expected performance of the MVC women's soccer teams for the 2013, it's hard to make a case for Loyola finishing seventh among seven teams-- fifth is about the worst plausible finish; fourth or even third is more likely. MVC women's soccer is not appreciably more competitive than the Horizon League-- only seven out of 10 schools compete in the MVC, while all but UIC competed in the HL last season. Last year's MVC champ and this year's preseason favorite Illinois State was paired against 4-seed Marquette in last year's NCAA Women's Soccer tournament, while the HL champion Milwaukee was paired against unseeded Notre Dame. So a good case can be made that the HL is actually a tougher and more competitive league in women's soccer than the MVC.

This was the first vote in the new league on where Loyola will fit into the conference, before Loyola has participated in a single league game in any sport. It's also a vote where inside knowledge of the competition is much less discussed, and where information is less readily available. If Loyola performs competitively and impressively in the fall sports, I think there's a good chance the Ramblers could avoid a last place prediction in the men's basketball poll as the MVC voters in the late October poll will be more cognizant of Loyola's relative strength as an athletic program.

These things are hard when so many aren't familiar with the new school in whatever sport. With that said, there's no way you're voted last in MBB with SIU in the conference. I could see 9th but would guess 8th and expect you to finish 6th.

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Hello all! WSU fan and first time poster on this site. I'm looking forward to watching Loyola in the MVC and I wish you the best of luck! I've been reading this site for the past few months and I am trying to gain familiarity with the Ramblers team. Despite recent whoas, Loyola looks poised for a solid inaugural MVC season (on paper).

Looking at the preseason selections Early, Odum, and Lemon are first team locks. I believe Tuttle will be on the team as well. The fifth player selected will likely be 6-5 guard Desmar Jackson from SIU. He's a skinny senior wing and a scoring machine. He is the second leading returning scorer (15.2) if you go by season stats whereas Thomas averaged 12.0 points over the season. Add to it that very few of the MVC media will have seen him play, and Thomas is a near lock to be second team preseason. Manny Arop is indeed the other that is in legit pre-season consideration as no newcomers are likely to be selected.

Other double digit scorers that return are:

Marcus Marshall, sophomore G, MSU
Tyshon Pickett, senior F, BU
Jamar Gulley, senior G-F, MSU (he was injured last year but averaged 11 and 6 as a junior in 2011-12).

I have a hard time believing the best player on the worst team is going to make 1st team.

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The Roundhouse

It happens. Ernie Banks was a two-time MVP on a crappy team. Andre Dawson in 1987.

Both of those players were pretty damn impressive. And in baseball, there's a lot of simply individual aspects to it. Jackson is going to get his points because there's no talent around him which will inflate his PPG. He's a good player, but not one of the best in my opinion. That, and he was nearly kicked off of the SIU team last year.

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