Indianapolis – The University of Missouri-St. Louis men's basketball team has been picked to finish seventh in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Preseason Poll, as announced by the league office on Friday afternoon. The annual GLVC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll was voted on by the league's head coaches and ranks all 15 teams in predicted order of finish.
UMSL received 125 points in the poll and are coming off a 16-13 season including 10-10 in the GLVC. The Tritons had their seven-year streak of qualifying for the conference snapped last season. They return six players from last year's squad including four of its top six scorers.
Jake Hamilton is the team's top returning scorer averaging 11 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest.
Vincent Davis III added 10.1 points and was the team's leading rebounder with 6.2 boards per outing.
Makeer Makeer contributed 9.2 points per contest while
Miles Boland averaged 8.8 points and ranked amongst the league leaders with his 138 assists. Boland was named to the GLVC's All-Freshman team.
McKendree is the favorite to win the league this season. The Bearcats received 190 points including nine of a possible 15 first-place votes given that Conference bylaws state a school cannot vote for itself. William Jewell, the defending GLVC champion, was picked second with 186 points and the other six first-place votes. Upper Iowa garnered 146 points, Illinois Springfield had 144 points and UIndy received 140 points to round out the top five.
UMSL tips off its 2026-27 season on Monday (Nov. 9) as it travels to Owensboro, Ky., to take on Kentucky Wesleyan at 6 p.m. at the Owensboro Sportscenter. The Tritons home opener is scheduled for Saturday (Dec. 5) against Upper Iowa at 3 p.m. at the Mark Twain Building.
2026-27 GLVC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. McKendree 190 (9)
2. William Jewell 186 (6)
3. Upper Iowa 146
4. Illinois Springfield 144
5. UIndy 140
6. Missouri S&T 136
7. Missouri-St. Louis 125
8. Drury 121
9. Rockhurst 80
10. Quincy 67
11. Lincoln 64
11. Truman 64
13. Lewis 44
13. Southwest Baptist 44
15. Maryville 24
