Illinois State's basketball team was voted second behind defending champion Loyola in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll released Thursday, with ISU seniors Phil Fayne, Milik Yarbrough and Keyshawn Evans earning spots on preseason all-conference teams.
ISU had 374 points and 10 first-place votes in the annual poll of league coaches, media and sports information directors. Loyola, which advanced to the Final Four last year, had 410 points and 29 first-place votes. Southern Illinois was third with 362 points and four first-place votes.
Fayne and Yarbrough made the preseason all-conference first team along with preseason Player of the Year Clayton Custer of Loyola, Jordan Barnes of Indiana State and Armon Fletcher of Southern Illinois.