One of college basketball's most iconic publications is bullish on Bradley basketball.

Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook picked the Braves to finish atop the Missouri Valley Conference in the 2024-25 season, according to a post from the school on Tuesday.

Stand pat or go big? Examining the future of Missouri Valley Conference basketball

Blue Ribbon also selected returning fifth-year guard Duke Deen as the MVC's preseason Player of the Year and named big man Darius Hannah to the MVC preseason first team along with Deen, Tytan Anderson (Northern Iowa), Cooper Schwieger (Valparaiso) and Johnny Kinzinger (Illinois State).

Bradley finished 23-12 in the 2023-24 season and made the second round of the National Invitation Tournament after a third-place finish in the MVC. The Braves bring back a wealth of deep and versatile experience in 2024-25, led by Deen and Hannah. BU opens the season with an exhibition game Oct. 30 against Millikin.

What is Blue Ribbon Yearbook?

Blue Ribbon is edited and published by Chris Dortch, a longtime journalist and writer and a member of the United States Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame. The annual guide has been around for more than 40 years and is considered an "institution that has delivered essential details and guided reporters and editors in their coverage of the game," according to the USBWA.

The magazine predicted Northern Iowa for the top spot last season, followed by Drake, Bradley, Belmont, and Missouri State as its top five. It nailed the BU prediction, and had four of the top five correct in the standings.

Blue Ribbon Yearbook MVC predictions 2024

The Missouri Valley announced the predicted order of finish as selected by Blue Ribbon:

1. Bradley

2. Northern Iowa

3. Drake

4. Illinois State

5. Belmont

6. Murray State

7. Southern Illinois

8. Valparaiso

9. Evansville

10. Indiana State

11. Illinois-Chicago

12. Missouri State

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bradley basketball: Blue Ribbon Yearbook picks BU to win Missouri Valley