The 2026-27 Valparaiso University men's basketball team is picked to finish fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference, according to a preseason survey of the league's head coaches, athletic communications staff members and media members that was released on Tuesday.
 
This marks the highest Valpo has been voted in the league's preseason poll since joining the MVC prior to the 2017-18 season. Previously, the team's highest Valley preseason projection was sixth of 10 in 2017-18, the team's first year in the league. Valpo far exceeded preseason expectations last season, when the Beacons were voted last in the preseason poll for the second time in three years, but instead finished tied for sixth, one game out of a tie for third.
 
KenPom.com released its preseason data earlier this week, and Valpo is rated 140^th nationally and fifth in the MVC, according to KenPom metrics. Last season, Valpo had a preseason KenPom rating of 284. The 144-place jump from the beginning of last season to the beginning of this season ranks fifth nationally in terms of largest improvement in Preseason KenPom rating. In addition, Valpo's preseason KenPom rating of 140 is the program's highest preseason rating since 2018-19 (132).
 
The MVC will release its Preseason Players to Watch List on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The league's Preseason Media Day is set for this Wednesday, Oct. 14 in St. Louis with sophomore JT Pettigrew (Lisle, Ill. / Bolingbrook), sophomore Rakim Chaney (Rockford, Ill. / Rockford Auburn / 212 Sports Academy) and junior Justus McNair (Joliet, Ill. / Joliet West) representing the Beacons along with head coach Roger Powell Jr.
 
Click here for information about other previously-announced preseason laurels.
 
More on the Program's Forward Momentum
The team went 11-9 in league action last year, nearly doubling its conference win total for a second straight season, notching the team's first-ever winning season in Valley play. Overall, Valpo won 18 games including 17 regular-season contests in 2025-26, the program's highest regular-season win total since its final season in the Horizon League in 2016-17. The Beacons enjoyed their first winning season overall since 2019-20 and featured a 13-4 mark at the Athletics-Recreation Center, their highest home win total since 2016-17.
 
Last year, Valpo exceeded expectations, finishing just one game out of a tie for third in a tightly-packed league after being picked last in the 11-team conference's preseason poll. Valpo ranked 325^th nationally in Division-I experience prior to the 2025-26 season and finished the regular season at 150 in the KenPom after beginning at 283, a jump of 133 spots that was the fourth-largest improvement nationally.
 
2026-27 MVC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll

1. Murray State (32)... 517
2. Illinois State (7)... 471
3. UIC (6)... 466
4. Belmont (1)... 353
5. Valparaiso (1)... 343
6. Bradley (1) .. 313

Valpo MVC Preseason Poll History
Year                Preseason Projection
2026-27           5^th/11
2025-26           11^th/11
2024-23           10^th/12
2023-24           12^th/12
2022-23           9^th/12
2021-22           7^th/10
2020-21           8^th/10
2019-20           9^th/10
2018-19           7^th/10
2017-18           6^th/10
 
2026-27 MVC Preseason KenPom Ratings
MVC   Rating  Team
1          97        Murray State
2          106       UIC
3          127       Illinois State
4          138       Belmont
5          140       Valpo
6          142       UNI
7          146       Drake
8          170       Bradley
9          184       Southern Illinois
10        195       Indiana State
11        260       Evansville
 
Largest KenPom Improvement, Preseason 2025-26 to Preseason 2026-27
Rank    Jump   Team
1          172       Central Arkansas
2          154       Texas State
3          150       Buffalo
4          149       Penn
5          144       Valpo