Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's men's basketball team has been projected to finish seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Preseason Poll, as announced by the league office. Bradley University emerged as the preseason favorite, securing 46 first-place votes.

Two players from Southern Illinois, Kennard Davis Jr. and Ali Dibba, have been recognized with All-MVC Preseason honors, both being named to the Third Team.

Kennard Davis Jr., who played in 32 games during his freshman year with 10 starts, averaged 21.3 minutes on the court and scored an average of 4.2 points per game. He was noted for his defensive skills, recording 22 steals and pulling down 96 rebounds over the season. His shooting stats included a field goal percentage of 41.7% and a three-point percentage of 30%. He achieved a season-high score of 12 points against Indiana State and New Mexico State.

Ali Dibba began his collegiate career at Chicago State before transferring to Abilene Christian for two seasons. During the last season with Abilene Christian, he led his team in scoring with an average of 15.5 points per game along with averages of 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 assists per game. Dibba also shot at a rate of 47.7% from the field and had a three-point shooting percentage of 34.7%.

The MVC Preseason Poll placed Bradley at the top with UNI receiving two first-place votes and Murray State one vote to round out some top contenders alongside Illinois State and Drake.

Guard Duke Dean from Bradley was chosen as the MVC Preseason Player of the Year.