Sycamores picked to finish 9th in MVC women's basketball race

Indiana State finished ninth in the 2025-26 Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball race and that's where the Sycamores are predicted to finish in the 2026-27 season, according to annual MVC preseason poll.Coach Marc Mitchell's squad ended up with records of 10-22 overall and 5-15 in the conference last season.The Sycamores were picked ninth in the MVC poll of league head coaches, media and school communication directors. The Valley released the poll Tuesday morning. Voters predicted two-time defending conference champion Murray State to three-peat, giving the Racers 41 of 44 possible first-place votes and 477 total points in the poll. Murray has won the last two regular-season and MVC Tournament titles.Illinois State was selected second with 396 points, followed by Belmont with two first-place votes and 375 points, Northern Iowa with one first-place vote and 343 points, Drake at 317 and Illinois-Chicago 267. As in recent years, the MVC released only the top six spots. Via other sources, the final five slots went to Bradley in seventh, Southern Illinois eighth, Indiana State ninth, Evansville 10th and Valparaiso 11th.Offseason changes led to a revised ISU roster that features 13 newcomers, including one freshman, seven junior college transfers and five four-year college transfers. The incoming players hail from 10 states — Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Texas and Wisconsin — and consist of seven guards and three forwards.Mitchell has two returnees Jayci Allen, who averaged 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and led the Sycamores with 50 3-pointers, and Amerie Flowers, who averaged 7.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.Meanwhile, in the men's preseason poll released Tuesday afternoon, Murray State also was chosen as the favorite to take the '26-27 conference crown.Murray State got 32 first-place votes and 517 total points, well ahead of runner-up Illinois State's seven first-place votes and 471 points. Illinois-Chicago took third with six first-place votes and 466 points.The Racers were picked third in the previous two preseason polls. Illinois-Chicago also got its best early MVC rating ever, as did Belmont, which was picked to finish fourth one first-place vote and 353 points, and Valparaiso, picked fifth with one first and 343 points, followed by Bradley with one first and 313 points.The predicted finishes in the final five spots for Indiana State, Southern Illinois, Evansville, Drake and Northern Iowa weren't available.The MVC preseason poll dates back to 1985-86, according to the league.Among men's basketball conferences nationally, the Valley finished 2025-26 ranked ninth, its highest since 2018.