ST. LOUIS – Illinois State senior Zach Copeland was named to the preseason All-MVC third team, while the Redbirds were picked to finish seventh in the 2019-20 preseason conference poll, which is determined by a panel of league sports information directors, media, and coaches.
Illinois State earned 193 poll points, just behind Indiana State (210) and Drake (243). Missouri State is the preseason favorite earning 410 points and 29 of the 44 first-place votes. Bradley (368, five first-place votes), UNI (343, three first-place votes), and Loyola Chicago (340, six first-place votes) rounded out the predicted top four in the league. Evansville (132 points), Valparaiso (98), and Southern Illinois (83) closed out the bottom three teams in the conference.
Copeland averaged 9.3 points and 3.0 assists per game in his first season with the Redbirds, making 53 three-point shots and nearly 85 percent of his free throw tries. He played in 32 games, with 29 starts for the 'Birds.
Loyola Chicago's Cameron Krutwig was selected as the preseason Player of the Year in the conference, as Darrell Brown (Bradley), Tulio Da Silva (Missouri State), AJ Green (UNI), and Tyreke Key (Indiana State) were also named to the first team.
The Redbirds have an exhibition game on Wednesday, Oct. 23 against Truman State (6 p.m. start), and then kick off the 2019-20 regular season on Nov. 6 at home against the Belmont Bruins in a 7 p.m. tip-off at Redbird Arena.
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