ST. LOUIS - This is the kind of hat trick Illinois State basketball coach Tim Jankovich never wants to be part of again. Sophomore guard Alex Rubin suffered a broken fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot during practice on Monday, Jankovich said Tuesday at the Missouri Valley Conference Media Day.

Rubin will become the third ISU player to have surgery in the last five months.

Alex Rubin, who was vying for the starting point guard position with junior college transfer Lloyd Phillips and senior Emmanuel Holloway, will have a pin inserted during surgery today. Jankovich said Rubin could be out for six to eight weeks.

ISU forwards Bobby Hill (knee) and Brandon Sampay (hip) are recovering from offseason surgeries, although Hill could be ready for the Nov. 15 opener at Wright State.

The 6-foot-1 Rubin played in 20 games last season, averaging 1.4 points. He came on strong late in the season and had impressed the coaches during individual workouts and practices this fall.

"My heart goes out to Alex and all our guys who are not only out, but for a significant time," said Jankovich. "It's different when you have a sprained ankle and you're out for a week and surgeries where you're out for months.

"Alex was as hard of a worker as we had all summer, and that's saying something with how our guys worked on their games. He is a much improved player and figures to make a strong contribution this season."

NCAA tourney snub

Almost eight months have passed since the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee bypassed Illinois State.

Valley coaches still aren't over it.

"It's a joke that this league only had one team (Drake) represented," said Bradley coach Jim Les. "This is one of the top eight or nine leagues year in and year out in the country, and we deserve multiple teams."

The Valley had at least two teams in the NCAA tourney for nine straight years, highlighted by four teams in 2006. Elgin said 74 percent of the league revenues are derived from the NCAA tourney.

A team selected for the NCAA tourney gets one unit, which Elgin said is worth from $1.8 to $2 million to the league over a six-year period. More teams and victories in the tourney result in more money for the Valley.