In a pre-season poll released on Oct. 28, the CCIW men's basketball coaches picked defending-champion Wheaton College (Ill.) to repeat in 2009-10 (4 first-place votes, 46 points), followed by Augustana College (Ill.) second (2 first-place votes, 39 points), Carthage College third (1 first-place vote, 37 points), Illinois Wesleyan University fourth (1 first-place vote, 36 points), Elmhurst College fifth (22 points), Millikin University sixth (17), North Central College seventh (15) and North Park University eighth (12).