Todd Golden: TODD AARON What do MVC teams have to look forward to in 2023?

Sep. 20—Missouri Valley Conference Media Day for men's basketball takes place today in St. Louis. It will be a Media Day like no other!

OK, that's over-selling it considering that Media Day, as you might rightly point out, is not something that fans experience. It's for the league, for the media, and then by proxy, for the fans.

True enough, but it is a sort of introduction to college basketball season and for the MVC? This really is a season like no other. Three new schools, a 20-game schedule, and, a new Arch Madness format.

Avoiding the play-in? Now you have to finish top four to achieve that instead of top six as the Thursday night flotsam fest now becomes an all-day affair with a sprinkling of quality teams involved. Will MVC fans, long conditioned to think that avoiding the play-in was the minimum standard of success, adjust their expectations accordingly? (I'm not holding my breath.)

The impact of the transfer portal and other seismic changes in college athletics are well and truly being felt. The prospects for several MVC programs have waxed and waned based on roster turnover that would have been unfathomable five years ago, but have been quickly priced into the cost of doing business in the 2020s.

For me personally? I'm looking forward to it. I haven't been to MVC Media Day in-person in quite a while.

This column coincides with catching me in a non-negativity mindset, influenced by, what I feel, is knee-jerk overreactions and lack of critical thinking that seem to dominate the way sports are perceived and consumed. We collectively freak out and have zero patience for any dips and peaks, it seems.

Um, right. That was a very pompous route to get to explaining that this column is about what I think each program has to be excited about coming to Media Day. So here goes.

—Belmont (25-8 in 2022) — The first of the MVC newbies knocks Bradley out of the top spot in MVC alphabetical order. Surely, that factored heavily into their seeking MVC membership.

Seriously, being a part of the MVC is a big deal for the Bruins (the MVC is now the Pac-12 East with both Bruins and Bears) just as being in Nashville is a big deal for the MVC.

The Bruins have not finished below .600 since 2005, so the MVC will be a big test in seeing if they can maintain their winning tradition. A bigger challenge, however, will be the fact that Belmont only has one starter back and lost seven players. They are a test case for the impact, good or bad, of serious transfer portal turnover.

Still, their one player back is forward Ben Sheppard, and he averaged 16.2 points in 2022. He will be the sun around which Belmont orbits.

—Bradley (17-14, 11-7 MVC) — The Braves lost leading scorer and steady point guard Terry Roberts, as well as newly-minted Sycamore Jayson Kent.

Still, there's plenty of cause for optimism. Bradley is hoping for a healthy season from talented forward Ja'Shon Henry as well as continued progress from versatile forward Rienk Mast. They are formidable and will keep the Braves among the top half in all likelihood.

—Drake (25-11, 13-5) — There will be no preseason poll tomorrow, but if Drake isn't the preseason conference favorite? It would be a major shock.

Tucker DeVries, Garrett Sturtz, Roman Penn and D.J. Wilkins, the Bulldogs' four leading scorers, are all back for more as coach Darien DeVries has stabilized Drake as a contender in a way no one had done since the days of Maury John. 'Nuff said.

—Evansville (6-24, 2-16) — What do the moribund Aces have to look forward to? A fresh start! One with a coach who is near and dear to Sycamores of a certain era.

Dave Ragland takes over as head coach, he was on ISU's staff from 2010-14, the time of Greg Lansing's greatest success. Few coaches were as beloved at ISU as "Rags" was, so those of here who knew Ragland know that his personality will rub off on the Aces, especially since Ragland is from Evansville and knows the city well.

—Illinois-Chicago (14-16) — We'll mention Murray State being jilted in 2018 momentarily, but it's easy to forget that UIC was perceived in some quarters as a favorite for MVC membership back in 2013 when Loyola was ultimately added.

Just as Loyola was brought into the league by a coach with MVC connections in Porter Moser, so is UIC with former Illinois State assistant Luke Yaklich. UIC lost its top four scorers, so it's likely to be heavy sledding at first for the Flames, just as it was for Loyola, but UIC's commitment to joining the MVC signals intent that it believes it's a sleeping giant.

Perhaps Yaklich can have the effect on UIC like Moser did on Loyola?

—Illinois State (13-20, 5-13) — Like Evansville, Illinois State ushers in a new era with Ryan Pedon taking over as head coach after Dan Muller's regime petered out late last season.

The Redbirds lost their top three scorers, and like so many others, their success will depend on how new players mesh, but the 'Birds have the optimistic rush of renewal.

—Indiana State (11-20, 4-14) — The Sycamores are banking on an infusion of experience, players who fit Josh Schertz's system better, and most of all? More maturity.

ISU let several would-be wins slip due to turnovers, bad decision-making and players being put into situations that didn't suit their skill sets.

With Kent, Courvoisier McCauley, Trent Gibson, Masen Miller and Cade McKnight added to ISU's top three returning scorers in Cam Henry, Cooper Neese and Kailex Stephens? The Sycamores are hoping to demonstrate that 2022 was a blip, not a pattern.

—Missouri State (23-11, 13-5) — In a way, coach Dana Ford was ahead of his time. The Bears have had transfers coming in and out long before the portal blew up. He's adjusted accordingly.

Isiaih Mosley and Gaige Prim are gone and so are their combined 36.7 points and 14.2 rebounds, but Ford has always re-loaded well. One to look out for? Colorado State transfer guard Kendle Moore. The Danville, Ill. native can light it up.

—Murray State (31-3) — The Racers became a cause celebre both on its own campus and in MVC circles. "Add Murray!" was the rallying cry for a program that has had 13 20-win seasons since 2000.

The Racers are finally in, along with a passionate fanbase that will add spice to the MVC. Normally, you'd also laud their on-court product too. The Racers were nationally-ranked a year ago, but all but two players are gone from that three-loss team.

Murray State turned to Steve Prohm, who was 104-29 there from 2011-15, and will try to keep their tradition going in the league they've long sought.

Plus? They have a freshman guard named Patrick Chew, and if you remember the Patrick Ewing-Patrick Chewing Snickers ads from the late 2000s? That's pretty awesome.

—Northern Iowa (20-12, 14-4) — A.J. Green, the 2022 MVC Player of the Year, turned pro and Noah Carter and Trae Berhow are also gone, so what's to look forward to for the Panthers?

They return guards Bowen Born and Nate Heise, both of whom played from the start as true freshmen, and who are now seasoned vets. There's also big Austin Phyfe, who has seemingly been at UNI since prehistoric times.

In other words? UNI has a core and that's often plenty to grown on for coach Ben Jacobson.

—Southern Illinois (16-15, 9-9) — Optimism reigns in Carbondale as the Salukis were one of the few teams to fend off the tender mercies of the transfer portal.

While a running theme in this column is players lost, SIU has three of its top five scorers back, including its top two — Marcus Domask (15.1) and Lance Jones (14.7). Added to that is Evansville transfer Jawaun Newton, who will be an interesting watch with a solid surrounding cast around him.

SIU will be a fashionable pick to finish near the top of the league.

—Valparaiso (14-18, 6-12) — Ah, the Beacons. Always vulnerable to transfers, and yet, never quite as bad as people think they might be, but then again? Never quite as good as they could be.

As ever, there were exits. Kevion Taylor, Sheldon Edwards and Thomas Kithier, all top five scorers, are gone.

However, there's also some welcome stability. Top two scorers Ben Krikke (14.2) and Kobe King (14.0) are both back. That's a good core, and in a league rife with change? Having a good core is something to look forward to.

Todd Golden is sports editor of the Tribune-Star. He can be reached at (812) 231-4272 or todd.golden@tribstar.com. Follow Golden on Twitter at @TribStarTodd.