University of Evansville seniors Jason Holsinger and Shy Ely are two of the Missouri Valley Conference's top 10 players, according to a pre-season poll of the league's basketball coaches, media, and sports information directors.

The pre-season poll also ranked the Purple Aces number eight in the 10-team league.  Despite finishing fourth last season, Creighton is the overwhelming favorite with 36 of the 39 first-place votes.  Southern Illinois was picked second, followed by Illinois State, Drake, Bradley, UNI, Indiana State, Evansville, Wichita State and Missouri State. Voters have accurately predicted the league's regular season champion only 10 times in the 24 years since 1985-86.  Last year's regular season champion--Drake--was picked ninth in the 2007 pre-season poll.

Chosen for the first team were Pre-Season Player of the Year Osiris Eldridge of Illinois State, Jonathan Cox and Josh Young of defending league champ Drake, Bryan Mullins of Southern Illinois and P'Allen Stinnett of Creighton.  Honorable mention honors went to Ely, Holsinger, and Bradley's duo of Andrew Warren and Theron Wilson.

Holsinger is the MVC's active career scoring leader with 1,055 career points.  Ely was the league's fifth leading scorer last season as a junior with a 14.4 scoring average.