EC Men’s Basketball Picked Third in SLIAC Preseason Poll

EUREKA – The Eureka men's basketball team has been selected third in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference preseason poll.

The Red Devils, who were also selected third a year ago, received 64 points and one first-place vote in the poll, which was conducted by league coaches, the SLIAC announced on Wednesday,

Fontbonne, which tied Webster for the regular-season title and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009 last year, topped the field with 73 points and five first-place votes.

Webster was right behind the Griffins with 69 points and four first-place votes, finishing five points ahead of the Red Devils.

New league member Lyon and Principia followed with 53 and 51 points, respectively. Spalding was sixth with 45 points. MUW, the SLIAC's other new member this season, was next with 30 points, and then Greenville (27) and Blackburn (26), with Westminster rounding out the poll with 12 points.

Eureka tied for third in the conference in 2022-23, recording a 12-15 record and a 9-5 record in league play. This will be the Red Devils' 17th season under the direction of head coach Chip Wilde.

The maroon and gold welcomes back a pair of SLIAC Watch List selections in senior Cody Baer and Peewee Brown. Baer is the reigning SLIAC Player of the Year and Brown was an All-SLIAC Second Team selection and All-Defensive Team selection, as well as another returning starter in senior Noah Persich (Peoria, Ill./Metamora).

On Monday, Oct. 30, EC men's basketball, along with EC women's basketball, will host Maroon Madness intrasquad scrimmages and a night of Halloween fun at Christine Bonati Bollwinkle Arena and Convocation Center at 8 p.m.

The team has already logged three preseason exhibition games in Canada earlier this month, and it will officially begin the 2023-24 season on Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at Aurora.