GLVC 2004-2005 Men's Basketball Preseason Poll

October 19, 2004

USI Picked to Win Men's GLVC Title;
While Bellarmine, Indy Pace Wide-Open Race for Women

        INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The University of Southern Indiana men are a clear choice to capture the 2004-05 Great Lakes Valley Conference basketball crown, while no less than four teams will battle for the women's title in a vote of league coaches.
        USI (28-7, 15-5), last year's NCAA Division II runner-up, totaled 96 points and captured six first-place votes. The Screaming Eagles outdistanced Kentucky Wesleyan (22-8, 14-6), which totaled three first-place votes and 87 points and Northern Kentucky (16-15, 9-11), with two first-place votes and 78 total points.
        The Panthers, however, are barred from postseason play by the GLVC and are not eligible for the GLVC and NCAA Tournament this season. While KWC's games will count in the regular season standings, that gives USI - ranked No. 5 in the pre-season Division II poll - a seemingly comfortable role as favorites in the poll.
        SIU Edwardsville (74 points), Indianapolis (70) and Quincy (52) will join NKU as Southern Indiana's strongest challengers, while St. Joseph's (46), Lewis (42), UMSL (23), UW-Parkside (21) and Bellarmine (19) complete the field.
        While the men's race seems clear, the women's is a toss-up with four different teams registering first-place votes. Bellarmine, Indianapolis, Quincy, and Northern Kentucky are all viewed by some coaches good enough to capture the conference championship.
        Bellarmine (21-9, 15-5) and Indianapolis (23-9, 14-6) tied for the favorite role with 86 points apiece, but the Knights tallied four first place votes to the Greyhounds' two. Quincy (29-5, 17-3) registered three first-place votes and is a point behind with 85 points, while Northern Kentucky (17-11, 12-8) captured two first-place votes and 77 points.
        Southern Indiana (69 points) and Lewis (57) are next, followed by UW-Parkside (48), SIU Edwardsville (33), UMSL (26), Saint Joseph's (18) and Kentucky Wesleyan (17).
        The poll did not allow coaches to vote for their own teams.

GLVC Men's Poll
1. Southern Indiana (6) ....96
2. *Kentucky Wesleyan (3) ..87
3. Northern Kentucky (2) ...78
4. SIU Edwardsville ........74
5. Indianapolis ............70
6. Quincy ..................52
7. Saint Joseph's ..........46
8. Lewis ...................42
9. Missouri-St. Louis.......23
10. UW-Parkside ............21
11. Bellarmine .............19

GLVC Women's Poll

1. Bellarmine (4) ..........86
2. Indianapolis (2) ........86
3. Quincy (3) ..............85
4. Northern Kentucky (2) ...77
5. Southern Indiana ........69
6. Lewis ...................57
7. UW-Parkside .............48
8. SIU Edwardsville ........33
9. Missouri-St. Louis ......26
10. Saint Joseph's .........18
11. Kentucky Wesleyan ......17
* not eligible for postseason

                -glvc-