The University of Illinois Springfield men's basketball team was picked ninth of 15 teams in the 2025-26 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) preseason coaches' poll, the league office announced Tuesday.
Missouri S&T was voted the preseason favorite to win the GLVC, receiving 14 first-place votes and 196 total points. Rounding out the top of the poll were Lincoln, Missouri-St. Louis, Rockhurst, and Drury.
Illinois Springfield, which finished last season 12-16 overall and 7-13 in GLVC play, returns key contributors like
Jordan Rice and
Tye Banks and adds four freshmen and three upperclassmen transfers, giving head coach
Matt Brock a versatile roster to compete in 2025-26 as the team looks to climb the conference standings.
The Prairie Stars open the season Nov. 14 against Roosevelt in Kenosha, Wis., and begin GLVC play on the road at Missouri-St. Louis on Saturday, Nov. 29.
The full preseason poll listed:
| Place |
School |
Points (1st-place votes) |
| 1. |
Missouri S&T |
196 (14) |
| 2. |
Lincoln |
174 (1) |
| 3. |
Missouri-St. Louis |
161 |
| 4. |
Rockhurst |
141 |
| 5. |
Drury |
121 |
| 6. |
Indianapolis |
115 |
| 7. |
Lewis |
114 |
| 8. |
McKendree |
109 |
| 9. |
Illinois Springfield |
97 |
| 10. |
William Jewell |
96 |
11.
12. |
Upper Iowa
Truman State |
78
69 |
| 13. |
Quincy |
51 |
| 14. |
Maryville |
33 |
| 15. |
Southwest Baptist |
20 |
The Prairie Stars aim to build on last season's experience, blending returning players with new additions to compete in the GLVC and make a return to the conference tournament.
