9. Evansville

Preseason poll: 8th

Why pick a team that returns all five starters for 9th place in the conference? Well, those starters finished 3-15 in the Valley last year. This collection of players isn't the Fab Five of Michigan in 1992-93. The crop of players coming back has some talent, but doesn't really scare many opponents.

Jason Holsinger (5'11" Sr.) starts the engine for the Purple Aces with his dynamic 3-point shooting ability. One of his best performances of the season in 2008 was against Bradley in Peoria. Holsinger dropped in 23 points including 6-of-7 from 3-point range. He also shoots very well from the free-throw line (85.3% career). Holsinger does make his share of mistakes at the point as he has the distinction of the MVC conference player with the highest returning turnover ratio per game (2.9). His skill set translates more to a shooting guard, but that'd be a major disadvantage for a guy who is under six feet tall.

The other big time performer for Evansville is Shy Ely (6'4" Sr.). He averaged 14.4 points (3rd best of returning players in the MVC) and 5.1 rebounds per game. Ely plays that tweener role of a shorter player whose best game is in the lane. Ely not only shoots a high percentage from the line (77.6%), but also knows how to get there (4.9 attempts per game). He knocked in all 18 FT attempts he took during a 60-56 home victory over Creighton on Feb. 13.

The problem isn't with either of those players, though. The rest of the Evansville team raises plenty of question marks. The biggest might be All-Freshman honoree Pieter van Tongeren (6'11" So.), who averaged 5.7 PPG and 4.1 RPG. He performed inconsistently, especially during the conference season. While he did have six double-digit scoring games, van Tongeren also scored two points or less in 11 games. If he makes strides this season, Evansville could be greatly improved.

Evansville, like many teams in the Valley, comes loaded with small forwards/shooting guards who can light up a scoreboard on a given night. Kavon Lacey (6'0" So.), Nate Garner (6'5" Sr.) and Darin Granger (6'2" Jr.) all have had their share of big games.

Evansville not only was last in the MVC in scoring (59.5 PPG) but also had the worst FG percentage allowed (.454 PCT). This combination doesn't bode well for a team that doesn't have any major recruits coming in this season (though 6'4" Fr. Kaylon Williams will likely see a lot of action as a back up to Holsinger).

If all of the returning players contribute more consistently, Evansville may have a shot at 6th or 7th in the Valley. But, if their recent track record continues, 9th seems to be a pretty fair placement for the Purple Aces.