3 Stars from the Valleys

(St. Louis, MO) – Some players help turn seasons around and some maintain excellence. In the Ohio Valley and Missouri Valley Conferences, this week’s ‘players of the week’ are players that are reenergizing programs and in the Great Lakes Valley the honoree is just keeping the status quo.

Freshman Cornell Johnston (St. Louis – Ladue) has been a central figure to the break out season for Eastern Illinois, and was named this week’s top player in the OVC.  The Panthers are enjoying their best OVC record in years, going 6-0 in league play and 12-6 overall. The 5’7″ point guard was also named the OVC ‘freshman of the week’. Johnston who scored 22 points in EIU’s win over Morehead State, is fifth in 3 point percentage and minutes played, and sixth in assists. The freshman award was his third this season.

When Drake (4-14)(1-5) finally broke into the win column in MVC play, it was largely due to the heroics of guard Gary Ricks Junior. The 6’1″ senior contributed a career high 24 points in a loss to Loyola and then delivered 23 in the Bulldogs’ win over Indiana State. For that offensive explosion Ricks was named the MVC player of the week.

Joe Lawson is University of Indianapolis’ second straight player of the week winner. Last week it was Lucas Barker. Lawson leads UIndy (15-0)(7-0) in scoring at 19.7 per game, and tallied 31 in a win over Southern Indiana and recorded a double-double against Bellarmine. Lawson has won the weekly honor twice this season and three times overall.

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