Men’s Basketball: Hawks headline GLVC West Preseason Poll

The Rockhurst Hawks headline the West Division in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Poll.

Rockhurst collected 65 points in the poll, including 13 first-place votes. Drury finished second in the West with 50 points and two first-place votes. Missouri-St. Louis, Missouri S&T and Maryville round out the rest of the West Division.

The Hawks posted a 19-11 record in 2008-09 and finished second in the GLVC West. Guard Aaron Hill returns for his senior season. He was the GLVC Player of the Year last season and is a 2009-10 Preseason All-American.

Bellarmine is the favorite to claim the GLVC East Division. Quincy claimed the top spot in the GLVC North Division.

The 2009-10 GLVC schedule will begin on December 3. Each team will play the teams in its division twice and each team in the other two divisions once for an 18-game slate.

The top three teams from each division and three wild cards will advance to the 2010 GLVC Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament. The tournament will be held over two weekends with the four teams from quarterfinal action advancing to the semifinals and final to be held at the TRAC on the campus of Illinois-Springfield on March 6-7.

2009-10 GLVC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll

West Division

1. Rockhurst, 65 votes (13 first-place votes)

2. Drury, 50 (2)

3. Missouri-St. Louis, 40

4. Missouri S&T, 31

5. *Maryville, 14

East Division      

1. Bellarmine, 64 points (12 first -place votes)

2. Northern Kentucky, 52 (3)

3. Kentucky Wesleyan, 35

4. *Southern Indiana, 33

5. Indianapolis, 16

North Division

1. Quincy, 59 points (9 first-place votes)

2. Lewis, 54 (5)

3. Saint Joseph’s, 45 (1)

4. UW-Parkside, 23

5. *Illinois-Springfield, 19

*Ineligible for GLVC Tournament

RU’s Hill named to Preseason All-America Teams

Hawks return to Sprint Center on Nov. 24

Rockhurst plays Billikens in St. Louis on Dec. 12