The Bradley Braves men's basketball team lands sixth in Valley preseason poll

PEORIA — The Bradley Braves men's basketball team has been picked to finish sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference in the 2026-27 preseason poll. Murray State and Illinois State were picked one-two. The conference released partial results on Tuesday, naming only the top six vote-getters in the 11-team lineup. I hate that. You hate that. It is what it is as lower-end programs protect egos and imagine they protect ticket sales, too, by hiding the complete results. But the annual pre-season poll feels a bit less relevant now with the Valley's new postseason tournament format.