(St. Louis, MO) – If the old adage about college basketball success depending on guard play, then Missouri Valley Conference teams should be in good shape. Backcourt leaders fill the league. Returning ‘Larry Bird – Player of Year‘ Clayton Custer leads a wave of veteran guards that will be their teams’ pace setters.
Custer and seven other guards return as double digit scoring backcourt leaders.
It’s not all about the scoring.
Bradley’s backcourt has offense in Darrell Brown (13.5 points per game) and defense in senior Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye. The two guards received all league honors last season. Brown was third-team all conference while Lautier-Ogunleye was named to the league’s All-Defensive team.
RedBird Revival
Illinois State won 28 games two seasons ago when seniors Paris Lee and Tony Wills led the way. They slumped to 18 wins last season despite the high scoring trio of Milik Yarbrough, Phil Fayne and Keyshawn Evans collecting over 47 points per game.
Evans says he learned how to play and how to lead from Lee and Wills and now it is his time to truly lead the Redbirds.
Joining Evans in the Redbird backcourt are senior William Tinsley and junior transfer Zach Copeland.
Drake Rebuilding
First year coach Darian DeVries is banking on a wave of newcomers, including graduate transfer Nick Norton. The former Conference USA all-freshman team member has played on NCAA qualifiers and has been the quarterback of UAB’s offense.
Norton says he, fellow grad transfer Brady Ellingson and senior forward Nick McGlynn are providing leadership to the transitioning Bulldogs.
Other backcourt leaders at Drake could be junior college transfers Anthony Murphy and D.J. Wilkins.
Emerging Jordan Barnes
Indiana State’s Jordan Barnes took the league by storm setting a Sycamore single season record for three-point baskets and averaged 17.4 points per game. Barnes is committed to improving in important ways. The 5’11 junior is also trying to mentor explosive sophomore Tyreke Key.
Barnes was a second team performer while Key was named to the Valley’s all-freshman team. ISU may have the Valley’s deepest backcourt. Butler transfer Cooper Neese, graduate transfer Allante Holston and former Iowa Hawkeye Christian Williams bring impressive credentials to Terre Haute.
Rambler Repeat?
Graduation cut Loyola’s four guard offense in half. Ben Richardson and Donte Ingram graduated, but backcourt leaders Custer and Marques Townes remain. The two red-shirt seniors combined to score 24 points and hand out over six assists per game. The backcourt leaders were each clutch contributors during Loyola’s Final Four run.
Sophomore Lucas Williamson and junior Bruno Skokna will likely fill those other two guard spots, but it will be Custer and Townes looking to be the Rambler’s backcourt leaders.
Saluki Depth
Surprisingly Southern Illinois will have a deep roster. At times last season Barry Hinson had only six available scholarship players. This season the SIU coach has five veteran guards. Second team guard Armon Fletcher (14.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game) leads the experienced quintet.
Marcus Bartley led the team in assists (3.5 per game) while fellow senior Sean Lloyd was named to the all-defensive team. Junior Aaron Cook joined Lloyd on the most-improved team and averaged 9.8 points per game. Junior Eric McGill who led the team in steals until he injured his left hand is now healthy. He could be a true difference maker.
The abundance of backcourt leaders bodes well for the MVC.
Do Good
Twitter Feed
.@SEMOMBB wins at home and is 2-0, tied with @MSUEaglesMBB atop the @OVCSports. Our prayers are with the @LRTrojans after the death of one of their managers Josh Claxton. Their game with EIU was postponed today.
Good officiating in the @SEMOMBB/@SIUEMBB in a little late game dust up.
BTW, @LindenwoodWBB is 2-0. @CoachAmyEagan has that program headed the right direction.
With @SkyhawkHoops winning on the road and @LUMensBball winning at home, right now, 5 @OVCSports teams are 1-1.
