Embracing the Portal

Valley Recruiting – Part Two – Second Four Teams

(St. Louis, MO) – Missouri Valley coaches are embracing the portal. During the new ‘portal pandemic’ era of college basketball, roster transformation is more the rule rather than the exception.

According to verbalcommits.com, 2048 Division 1 players entered the transfer portal and the Valley teams reached deep into the portal this off season. Thirty-nine D1 players left their former teams and joined MVC programs.

In ‘Part One’ of our recruiting analysis, we evaluated Belmont, Bradley, Drake and Evansville’s offseason roster additions. We are looking at the league teams in alphabetic order and today we take a look at Illinois Chicago, Illinois State, Indiana State and Missouri State.

Three of these four teams have new head coaches and coaching staffs. Their rosters needed a complete renovation. In this most transitional season in recent Valley history, how these three reloaded will go a long way toward determining the conference’s overall health. Make no mistake, these coaches are embracing the portal.

Illinois Chicago Flames – Rob Ehsan

First year coach Rob Ehsan had to rebuild a roster that was largely emptied out by a coaching change. Ehsan hit the portal harder than any other Valley coach. The former UAB head coach signed eight, Division 1 players including all-conference Sun Belt performer Jordan Mason.

Mason and Niagara transfer Ahmad Henderson are both guards who were double-digit scorers at their previous schools. Henderson landed on the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s all-freshman team.

One player of interest is Kent State (and former Missouri State Bear) transfer Tyem Freeman. Freeman was one the State of Missouri’s top players in 2019, but has bounced to several programs. Ehsan told me the 6’6 grad student could be an important UIC contributor.

 

A pair of 6’9 foreign players Sasa Ciani (Slovenia) and Modestas Kancleris (Lithuania) bring needed size and experience to the Flames’ frontcourt. Six of the eight D1 transfers are juniors, seniors and graduate students. Only Henderson and Ciani are sophomores.

UT Martin transfer Koby Jeffries played three Skyhawk seasons and played ten games at UAB. The 6’3 guard has appeared in 101 D1 games, scoring 474 points, grabbing 246 rebounds and handing out 195 assists.

Three highly regarded freshmen are on the roster. Former coach Luke Yaklich signed Illlinois’ third highest rated high school player and Carlos Harris decided to stick around and play for Ehsan. Harris and forward Jayce Nathaniel are each top level high school players. Iker Garmendia has extensive international experience playing for Spain’s U16 and U18 teams.

Illinois State Redbirds – Ryan Pedon

Suddenly, Illinois State is one of the most stable Valley programs. Ryan Pedon’s team has six returning players that saw significant playing time last season. The exciting Johnny Kinziger and steady Dalton Banks lead the way.

Kinziger (8.7 ppg) was part of the MVC’s all-freshman team. The 5’11 guard scored double figures 13 times with seven of those achievements happening in the Redbirds’ final eight games. Banks (8.5 ppg) is an outstanding quarterback, adding 3.5 assists per game.

Malachi Poindexter (8.6 ppg), Jordan Davis, Chase Walker and Bandon Lieb are solid contributors.

Pedon added three D1 players and one D2 star. North Dakota State’s Boden Skunberg is a proven scorer. Valdosta State’s Caden Boser is an outside threat and Mississippi redshirt Cameron Barnes gives Pedon a ‘change of pace’ post player to mix with Walker and Lieb.

 

Skunberg was an All-Summit League member and Wolf was an MVC all-bench team member for Northern Iowa’s 2023 team.

ILS’ 2024 squad struggled to make shots, particularly from long distance. Newcomer Landon Wolf and Cade Norris (see ‘Familiar Faces’) bring  proven long distance snipers to the team. Pedon believes the holdovers and newcomers will combine to give his team a very different look.

 

Freshman Jack Daugherty is the latest of a significant number of Wisconsin natives ending up at CEFCU Arena. Norris was a four-year double-digit scorer. Daugherty scored over 1,300 prep points and Nick Feather tallied over 1,000.

Indiana State Sycamores – Matthew Graves

After Josh Schertz’s departure for Saint Louis, every significant player from last year’s 32-win team also left town. Indiana State’s brilliant hiring of Schertz assistant Matthew Graves was huge. Graves brings head coaching experience, knowledge of the region and tie to Schertz’s unique offensive scheme.

 Jaden Daughtry, Aaron Gray and Derek Vorst provide the link to Indiana State’s recent successes. Graves says his team will look similar stylistically to last year’s stellar offensive squad.

 

Junior college transfer Jahni Summers comes to Terre Haute as one of last season’s top Juco freshmen .

Three of the incoming Division 1 players were double-digit scorers at their previous stops. Markus Harding (Central Michigan), Tyran Cook (VMI) and Samage Teel (Presbyterian) come to the Valley with proven scoring credentials. Teel made 42% of his long distance attempts, connecting 54 times.

Graves says Harding and Vorst have the ability to do similar types of things as last year’s post players.

 

Cook had a spectacular freshman season. Incoming freshmen Merritt Alderink, Jayan Walker, Josiah LeGree and Bruno Alocen have great potential, but Graves admits his rookies will need time to develop. Alderink and Walker are each 6’6 wings and come to Terre Haute as three-star recruits.

Missouri State Bears – Cuonzo Martin

No team had a bigger make over than Missouri State. Cuonzo Martin is back in Springfield for a second tour of duty, but nothing else looks familiar. Even the University has one foot out the door as MSU will be headed to Conference USA next year.

The 16-man roster has just two returners and neither played a significant role last year. Martin’s roster is a healthy mix of Division 1 transfers, highly regarded freshmen and stellar junior college players.

Vincent Brady (IUPUI) and Dez White (Austin Peay) are former all-freshman team members in their former leagues. Neither of the guards are known for their three-point shooting but each can score in traffic and at the rim.

Three transfers were all ranked as top-100 junior college players. Jalen Hamption (39), Michael Osei-Bonsu (66) and Mozae Downing-Rivers (68) bring good size and talent to the Bears’ lineup. Downing-Rivers is a 6’6 guard that Martin believes can be a top-level Valley player.

Martin says Brady is a player that is better with the ball in his hands and does what it takes to win and Downing-Rivers can be special.

 

Wesley Oba (Delaware State) and Allen Udemandu (Morgan State) add size and experience to the Missouri State frontcourt. Sam Murray II (Murray State) looks for a fresh start with a new MVC squad.

Jurrell Baldwin (19^th in Illinois) and Makhai Valentine (28^th in Pennsylvania) had outstanding high school careers. Valentine spent last season at nearby Branson, Missouri’s Link Year Academy.

Martin’s demanding, defensive style will remind people of Dana Ford’s style, but everything else about this team is new. Even its future league membership.

Do Good

 

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