Daily Read: Media Day Roundup

Daily Read: Media Day Roundup

* Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Missouri Valley Conference is looking to return to the success of 2006 (four NCAA bids).  Why?  Well the league's 10 teams return a combined 31 starters and, for just the third time in 20 years, all 10 of the conference's coaches are back.  But while the league is looking for balance in order to garner multiple bids, Northern Iowa is still expected to romp to the league title.  The Panthers are a near-unanimous pick to win the MVC title, according to Dan Johnson of The Des Moines Register.

* The America East will hold its Media Day on Wednesday afternoon in Hartford, Conn.  Too bad all the scribes dying to surround the Binghamton table to hear Mark Macon's take on the program's future won't have the opportunity.  Following a summer immersed in turmoil, Binghamton, the America East's defending champion, won't be attending the conference's Media Day, reports Mark Singelais of The Times Union.

Seton Hall, one of the most intriguing teams of the 2009-10 season, held its Media Day yesterday.  As Brendan Prunty of The Star-Ledger notes, Bobby Gonzalez is slightly excited for the season to begin.

Big surprise, Siena was tabbed to win the MAAC.  But just as Brian Lewis of the New York Post states, Manhattan and Iona are on the rise.

In other news ...
University of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd Jr. admits that John Wall's eligibility is in limbo, as questions surround his amateur status, reports Jerry Tipton of The Herald-Leader.

From Newport News, Va., a story on Hampton University senior captain Theo Smalling, who was accidently shot on Saturday and passed away on Monday, from Ashley Kelly and Mike Holtzclaw of the Daily Press.

Villanova's Reggie Redding addressed his 10-game suspension for possession of a small amount of marijuana with Joe Juliano of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  The senior will return to Jay Wright's rotation on Dec. 19 against Fordham.