The following is a list of players who will not be returning to their respective teams for the '14-'15 campaign.

Bradley
6'2" SR G - Mason Alwan (walk-on)
6'6" FR G - Jordan Swopshire
6'6" SR F - Tyshon Pickett
6'3" SR G - Walt Lemon Jr
6'6" FR G - Stefan Zecevic
6'8" SR C - Jordan Prosser

Swopshire had potential but I've heard he was difficult and perhaps didn't want to put in the work. Pickett was a solid big that they'll miss. Prosser was serviceable but never did develop. Lemon gets a lot of accolades but I think it's addition by subtraction with him.

Drake
*6'1" SR G - Gary Ricks
5'11" SR G - Richard Carter
6'10" SO C - Robert Puleikis
6'8" SR F - Aaron Hawley
6'11" SR C - Seth VanDeest
6'6" SO F - Daddy Ugbede

*Ricks should receive a medical RS and be able to return, but you never know with the NCAA. He's a hell of a player so for Drakes sake, I hope he gets it. Carter was a valuable and quick guard for them as well. They'll need someone to step up in his absense. Hawley was a hell of a shooter and gave them a terrific threat from outside. I feel bad for SVD as he looked good a few years ago but injuries really hampered the big fellow. They do have a young big that looked good this year but Drake needs depth. Still probably a couple years away from making a move up the conference ladder.
**Daddy was a guy a lot of Drake fans liked and thought was underused. He appeared to be solid but never got a lot of PT. Thought he'd get a lot more PT next season.

Evansville
6'8" JR F - Ryan Sawvell
6'3" FR G - Tyler Ptacek

I haven't heard of any other transfers at the moment. Sawvell was run off early in the season and is a big loss for the Aces. They lack depth at the PF/C positions and Ryan was a solid player. But Evansville doesn't really use their bigs well anyway so maybe it doesn't matter. Unless they find depth for this team somewhere, they're a Thursday night team.
*Little used FR sharpshooter Ptacek is gone.

Illinois State
6'9" JR F - Michael Middlebrooks
6'1" SO G - Kaza Keane
6'4" SO G - Zach Lofton
6'4" SO G - Nick Zeisloft

Middlebrooks was kicked off the team during the season. Keane didn't play much but could have been a decent backup G. Lofton was the most talented guy on the team but a headcase. Zeisloft was a solid contributor and one of their better shooters. Zeisloft will probably be the biggest loss here even though they need size. A lot of turnover for the Redbirds the last couple of years and that could hurt them in the coming season where they won't benefit from most of the other teams being young as well. They have some talent coming in if they can keep it on the court they could be a factor in two years.

Indiana State
6'3" SR G - Lucas Eitel
6'5" SR G - Manny Arop
6'3" SR G - Dawon Cummings
6'4" SR G - Jake Odum
6'7" JR F - Demetrius Moore

It seems like they have a transfer to two I'll need to look up. But they're losing their entire backcourt and are going to take a hit this coming season. Could fall into Thursday unless young guys can step up. Some decent inside guys return but that's nothing without guards. Fifth place at best this next season. Odum was their leader. Eitel was their outside threat. Arop was an athlete that could create. Big losses.
*Moore is the transfer and he's a loss. Was a big strong guy who could bang inside a bit. They don't have a lot of post depth.

Loyola
6'10" SO C - Cody Johnson
6'0" FR G - Jordan Pickett
6'3" SR G - Derrick Boone (Walk-on)
6'4" SR G - Bill Clark (Walk-on)
6'4" SR G - Tony Nixon (Walk-on?)
6'8" SO F - Matt O'Leary
6'10" FR C - Jeremy King
6'8" SO F - Nick Osborne

A young team with some really good returners. Johnson is one of two losses here as he appeared to be a pretty solid big. The other is recently departed Matt O'Leary who started much of the season. Moser kept a short bench all year and didn't give any of his young bigs much chance to develop. But they could make a push to escape Thursday this coming year.
*I take back my previous comment about Thursday. This team is now destined to finish 9th or 10th this coming season as they've lost all of their bigs outside of 6'8" Nick Osborne. Moser will get canned after this coming season.
**I somehow missed that Nick Osborne was transferring as well. All 4 big men on the roster are gone.

Missouri State
6'4" SR G - Keith Pickens
6'5" SR G - Jamar Gulley
6'8" SR F - Emmanuel Addo
6'5" SR G - Nathan Sheer
6'10" SO C - Bruce Marshall
6'6" SO G - Michael Simpson

Really not as bad as it looks. Pickens was a solid defender when healthy. Gulley wasn't quite the same coming back from the knee injury, but was still a solid player. The others were just taking up space. The Bears return a lot of young talent and could challenge for a top 3 spot.

Northern Iowa
6'6" SR F - Chip Rank
6'0" SR G - Matt Morrison

Rank was a solid big that threw his body around and hit some shots but he's not a huge loss. UNI should be a threat for a top 3 spot this year as they return nearly everyone and have some solid young talent and promising recruits.

Southern Illinois
6'5" SR G - Desmar Jackson
6'9" SR C - Devonte Drinkard
6'0" SR G - Colby Long (Walk-on)
6'6" SR F - Bronson Verhines
6'2" JR G - Mike Bologun
6'1" SO G - Marcus Fillyaw

Jackson is the only significant loss although I think they'll be a better team without him. Drinkard was most of their size, but injuries prevented him from playing for long periods of time. SIU got better as the year went on and could move up a few spots in conference. Adding a big Illinois transfer will help them inside. Still a couple more years before they could really be a threat.
*Updated with transfers. Fillyaw had some potential to be a decent role player. Not a huge loss though for a rebuilding program.

Wichita State
6'9" SR F - Chadrack Lufile
6'7" FR F - Derail Green
6'6" SR G - Nick Wiggins
6'9" SR C - Kadeem Coleby
*6'2" FR G - DJ Bowles
6'8" SR F - Cleanthony Early

Lufile and Coleby were two-thirds of the three headed dragon inside. Early was arguably the best player on the team and in the conference and was a 2nd team All-American. Wiggins never reached his ceiling but gave the Shox a long and athletic wing. Green was a tweaner that never really developed the strength to play inside or quickness to play outside. *DJ has a heart condition and technically died during a pickup game before the season. He remains with the team but his basketball playing days are done. Wichita still returns a lot and should win the conference again.

Its Walt lemon, and don't hate on him, picket and him were supposed to put us on the nit bubble this year (so much for that). Swoopshire kills me though, but we add Illinois transfer mike shaw to the mix (excited).

Think uni will be the real deal this year, I bet they play a first 4 game and wsu gets an 8 seed baker and van vleet will keep them competitive enough in noncon that at large bid is a gaurentee. Siu is my sleeper

UNI puts together a noncon schedule that, if they perform, will get them solidly in the NCAA. And I know I'm biased, but I think Wichita gets a top 5 seed next season. Lots of talent returning and some good players coming in and off of redshirts.

SIU I think is still a year or two away. I think WSU and UNI are the favorites for 1st and 2nd, but after that, MSU and ISU could have good shots depending on preconference performances. I am curious to see how Bradley does this year. I like some of the returners. And sorry about the typo on Lemon, but I still think you're better off without him. To me, he's one of those guys with a lot of individual talent and ability but doesn't make anyone around him better.

Trouble in Chicago. Loyola has had 3 of their 4 bigs tranfer out this spring. I blame Moser for his refusal to spend anytime trying to develop any depth. All 3 of them showed some promise and potential and as most of us know, it takes bigs a little longer to figure it all out in most cases, unless they're the elite types. LU is gonna be really bad next year.

Updated. Loyola has in fact lost all 4 of their big men to transfer.

News of a couple of SIU transfers added. Not big losses for the Uglies.

Haven't seen uni's non con but I will take your word for it, I feel Missouri state will be good but as usual not good enough to dance, I see situ as a dark horse more to win the autobid, young talented team gets it together at the end and wins arch madness, the redbirds also should be solid I still see a weak bottom this year and am interested to see a post Odum Indiana state squad

I haven't seen UNIs schedule either, but they've pretty consistently put together good ones that challenge them. They just haven't been producing lately. MSU will have a shot at earning an at-large if they do what they SHOULD.

And I'm with you on SIU in that they could get things rolling late. I still think they're a year away from being able to make a run, but they did show a lot of progress this year under Barry. ISU has a lot of talent but I'm not sure if Muller can keep them together well enough to utilize it. He's still young and could get it done. I just think there are a lot of questions with them when it comes to character and discipline. And they just lost Dana Ford as an assistant and I wonder what effect that may have.

I see the Trees taking a hard fall this year. All the way back to Thursday. The MVC will be better, but there's still work to be done.

Haha when I said MSU won't be good enough to dance I was refering to their uncanny ability to be talented enough to dance and find a way to screw it up, everyone in the valley has seen that movie before. You are probably right I about siu they probably won't be able to beat two of the top three conference teams in two days. Isu I think will be the default number four this year, as MO state, Wichita and uni seem poised to be a cut above the rest. I do believe Indiana state will struggle, you don't replace a talent like Odom so easily, but sometimes loss of stars can be overrated, 7 and Thursday seems about right to me

1. Wichita
2.uni
3.mo state
4.isu
5.siu
6.drake
7.sycamores
8.evansville
9.loyola
10. The school that spends the second most on basketball in the conference yet has been irrelevant the past half decade

I think people who continue to sleep on Southern Illinois and Illinois State don't see what the coaches are trying to accomplish.

Showing a little promise, with the wrong attitude or work ethic, will not get you far. Wichita State has raised the bar for the Missouri Valley. The other coaches, including Henson and Lansing, are stepping up their game. While they might not be significantly more talented players, they are willing to buy in and put in the work necessary to compete in the new Valley. That will benefit everyone.

Good point old friend. Illinois State is playing with fire right now. Lots of talent on paper but a lot of character questions. I love that 3G recruits character as well as talent and has built WSU the right way. Personally, I hope ISU figures it out because I want to see more competition and better teams in the Valley. I hope Muller decided to take some risks early to generate success and will lay off such recruits in the future. But who knows.

I think Barry is getting things done at SIU. He finally brought in some size and has some good young talent. I think they're a mid level team this year but in another year or two could be competing for a top 3 spot.

I'm not sure what to think about Lansing. I do think he's a good coach, but I'm not sold on his ability to recruit or develop. Was Odom really that much better as a 5th year SR than as a RS FR? They have a couple of pieces but I think the next year or two will tell us more about what he may or may not be able to do.

UNI has been upgrading the athleticism level and it will be interesting to see if Coach Jake can work with that in his system and if that can elevate the Cats a bit.

I think Loyola has potential, but we'll have to wait until they hire a new AD and that AD fires Moser at the end of this coming season. And then we have to give the new coach a couple of years. But if they make a good hire, I think they have potential to help elevate the MVC.

And then there's Bradley. LOTS of potential there as a University, but I didn't realize they were having financial difficulties. If they can get that in order and Ford can turn the corner, I think they're the best bet long term to challenge WSU.