SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Being picked in the preseason to win a conference championship can be a double-edged sword. That certainly describes the Missouri State men’s basketball program this season.
The Bears’ talented roster — led by preseason Player of the Year Alize Johnson — and the absence of an obvious favorite in the rest of the Missouri Valley Conference led voters to place MSU at the top.
“It didn’t bother us,” said MSU coach Paul Lusk. “But we had a lot of unproven guys. Us and Bradley finished in the same spot last year (tied for sixth at 7-11).