The Valley's own competitiveness can also hurt nationally. The balance from top to bottom continues to shrink, and that means no trip down easy street for preseason favorites like Illinois State and Southwest Missouri State. The preseason league poll announced Monday reflects the respective experience returning around the Valley. With all five of its starters and Coach Kevin Stallings returning after his bid for the Michigan job, the Redbirds received 26 of 30 first-place votes. Southwest Missouri State, 24-9 last season, returns four starters and is second in the poll, followed by Bradley, Wichita State, Evansville and Northern Iowa.
Stallings has no problem with the favorite's role.
It means we're doing the things we ought to be doing. There's no extra burden because we want to win the thing, anyway, and we think we're good enough to have a chance to do that. Injuries will be a factor, and they've hit the Redbirds hard in the preseason. Hill, the frontrunner for MVC player of the year honors this season, is out for three to four weeks after surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot. Center Leroy Watkins suffered a separated shoulder and could miss two to three weeks.