2. Southern Illinois

Preseason poll: 2nd

Most teams that lose their two best players won't be picked this highly in any conference. But sometimes, tradition trumps conventional reality.

Call it the coaching, the system, or the players. Whatever "it" is, that quality seems to always keep Southern Illinois in the heat of the Missouri Valley Conference race.

The Dawgs are known for their tenacious defense and incredible home court advantage (92-6 in the past seven years). A casual fan might see their style as ugly, even boring, but it churns out winning teams every season.

Even in a very disappointing season for SIU, the Salukis finished 18-15 in 2007-08 and made the NIT. The team will need to buy into its system even more this season, especially considering all of the new players on the team.

Though big men Randal Falker and Matt Shaw graduated, SIU does have guard Bryan Mullins (6'2" Sr.) to direct the Dawgs. Mullins averaged almost 11 points per game last season, but he's known for his true point guard skills. He won the MVC Defensive Player of the Year award and also knows how to command the SIU offense (4.9 assists per game).

Though guard Wesley Clemmons (6'3" Sr.) also returns as a possible starter, it's the incoming recruits that has SIU excited.

The player coming in the most recognition might be guard Kevin Dillard (6'0" Fr.), who won Illinois' Mr. Basketball award (top high school player in the state). He should play a lot immediately and have a great mentor in Mullins to take over for next year.

The Salukis also have two talented prospects in freshman guards Ryan Hare (6'4" Fr.) and Torres Roundtree (6'4" Fr.). Both are scorers and should help the offensive side of the ball where SIU can sometimes struggle.

A conference championship might be determined by the amount of production the team can get from their post players. The Salukis have one holdover who has experience, forward Tony Boyle (6'8" Sr.). He's a big body that should rebound well and chip in some points close to hoop.

There isn't much else for depth other than forward Carlton Fay (6'8" So.) and Christian Cornelius (6'7" Jr.). If either player can make strides, that will go a long way towards winning another MVC title.

See the same theme for another MVC team: lots of talent, how quickly can they gel together? Considering what the Dawgs have done in the past, I wouldn't bet against them finishing on top yet again.