Could the Valley MVP Be a Newcomer?

Talented Newcomers

(St. Louis, MO) – Could the Valley MVP be a newcomer? Bradley’s Duke Deen is the preseason ‘player of the year’, and he could claim that title next March. A host of talented newcomers have a chance to accomplish an unprecedented achievement.

Two Missouri Valley Conference players have been both the league MVP and the conference ‘Newcomer of the Year’. Lewis Lloyd (1980) and Curt Smith (1993) both turned the trick for Drake.

Without a knock on Deen, I believe this is one of the most wide-open preseason races for the Larry Bird Trophy. The league announced its all-conference team and Deen and five others were named to the Valley’s first team.

Deen’s competition on the Valley’s first two teams includes two of his teammates (Darius Hannah and Zek Montgomery), three Northern Iowa players, two from Murray State and two from Illinois State. Reigning ‘Freshman of the Year’ Cooper Schwieger rounds out the MVC’s top eleven players.

Every Valley program has a possible all-conference player coming in from another Division 1 program. Deen’s teammate Zek Montgomery is returning to Bradley after a year at Rhode Island and could nose out his backcourt mate.

Three transfers were tabbed to the Valley’s preseason third team. A Drake duo of Cam Manyawu and Bennett Stirtz and Southern Illinois’ Ali Dibba were so honored. Eleven different incoming transfers earned some kind of all-conference honors in their previous leagues.

(See ‘Plugging in the Pieces‘ on almost all the Valley newcomers)

Assuming Montgomery wouldn’t qualify as a ‘newcomer’ here are our top five contenders.

Top Five Contenders

# 5 – Tie – Elijah Elliott – Southern Illinois & Terence Harcum – Murray State

SIU and Murray State signed so many solid D1 transfers that we could have filled this category with Racers and Salukis. SIU’s Davion Sykes could easily be on this list and we talk about Drew Steffe below. Elliott has a complete game and is the leading D1 scorer on Scott Nagy’s first team. While not a consistent three-point threat at Texas-Rio Grande Valley, he scored 121 times from the free throw line and collected 48 steals.

Murray State got the kind of players they needed and Harcum is just what the doctor ordered for Steve Prohm. The Appalachian State transfer is a high volume and high accuracy long range shooter. He was a third-teamer in the Sun Belt and was the league’s third best three-point shooter.

# 4 – Cam Manyawu – Drake Bulldogs

The 6’8 Manyawu averaged just 7.5 points per game but was sixth in the Mountain West in offensive rebounds and collected 32 steals from his post position. He is active and in Ben McCollum’s tenacious defense and up-tempo, pick and roll offense he could be a very active offensive threat.

# 3 – Ali Dibba – Southern Illinois Salukis

Dibba’s numbers stand out. He was a second team, all-Western Athletic Conference player last season. The 6’4 senior shows defensive prowess with 43 steals and was second in the WAC in field goal percentage. While his volume is low (17), his 35 percent success rate from deep indicates that he could be a threat in Scott Nagy’s fast-paced offense.

# 2 – Boden Skunberg – Illinois State Redbirds

Ryan Pedon’s squad needed proven outside shooting and Skunberg and fellow transfer Landon Wolf are two of the answers to that need. The grad-transfer racked up 1,142 points at South Dakota State and last season averaged 14.1 points and 5.4 rebounds, He was named to the Summit League’s all-tournament team.

Our Top Choice

# 1 – Kylen Milton – Murray State Racers

Milton (17.0 & 6.6) is a second-teamer in the Southwest Athletic Conference. The 6’4 senior made 35% from deep and gets to the free throw line. Milton scored 171 times from the charity stripe. He was second in the SWAC in rebounding and picked up 34 steals. Steve Prohm’s recruiting class combined with his returners made the Racers the Valley’s third ranked team.

Second Tier and Dark Horses

Point guards Carter Whitt (Belmont) and Tayshawn Comer (Evansville) could become instant MVC household names. Whitt was sixth in the Southern Conference in assists and Comer was part of the Atlantic Sun’s all-rookie team in 2023.

Valparaiso’s Devon Ellis intrigues me. One of four Link Year Academy guys on Roger Powell’s team, he started 24 games for Maryland-Eastern Shore and made 50 percent of his field goal attmpts. He may be that ‘bigger guard’ Powell has been searching for.

UIC newcomers Jordan Mason and Ahmad Henderson II own impressive numbers and accolades. Henderson was part of the MAAC’s all-freshman team and Mason was named to last season’s Sun Belt all-tournament team.

Another Sun Belt refugee is Missouri State’s Dez White. He was part of last season’s all-freshman team and his Bear teammate Vincent Brady was part of the 2023 Horizon League all-rookie team.

SIU’s Davion Sykes, a Texas State transfer, is a prolific rebounder, collecting double digit caroms six times last season.

Dark horses include players with lesser numbers, but perhaps higher ceilings. UNI’s Leon Bond is my leading dark horse candidate. SIU’s Dre Steffe, Belmont’s Aidan Noyes, Murray State’s Kyeron Lindsay  and Illinois State’s Cameron Barnes have been stuck in power conference numbers games, but were very highly rated coming out of high school. (See Malik Dia). Evansville’s Connor Turnbull and SIU’s Tyler Bey may be players truly ready to break out.

While it’s not likely the Valley’s player of the year would be a newcomer will win the award, the talent level of this D1 transfer class is impressive.

Do Good

 

Editor: Cover photo of Boden Skunberg courtesy of gojacks.com.