ST. LOUIS - The Southern Illinois University men's basketball team was picked fourth, while the women's team came in last in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll released today.

The SIU men received 272 points to come in 27 points behind Illinois State. Northern Iowa, the defending champion that has all five returning starters back, received 38 of 39 first-place votes to win the top spot. Creighton got the other first-place vote and finished 53 points behind the Panthers.

Wichita State (216 points), Bradley, Indiana State, Drake, Missouri State and Evansville rounded out the men's poll.

SIU senior guard Tony Freeman was one of six on the MVC preseason team. The 6-foot-1 Iowa transfer joined UNI guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Panthers forward Adam Koch, Illinois State guard Osiris Eldridge, Creighton guard P'Allen Stinnett and Drake guard Josh Young. Eldridge was the league's preseason player of the year.

The Creighton women (393 points) were the preseason favorites for that race, receiving 34 of 40 first-place votes. Illinois State got the other six and finished second with 340 points.

SIU got 61 points and finished 36 points behind ninth-place Wichita State (97), which is coached by former Saluki assistant Jody Adams.

Drake (296) came in third, and was followed by UNI (253), Indiana State (250), Bradley (214), Missouri State (188), and Evansville (108).

Four guards joined forward Megan Neuvirth of Creighton on the preseason team: Casey Garrison of Missouri State, Maggie Krick of Illinois State, Kelsey Luna of Indiana State and Drake's Jordann Plummer. The women don't name a preseason player of the year.

For more from MVC media day, please see Wednesday's editions.

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com / 618-351-5087