Explosive First Week Performances

MVC/OVC Weekly Awards

(St. Louis, MO) – Explosive first week performances were common place in the Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley Conferences. As both league’s opened conference play, outstanding individual performances seemed to take place during every game.

Double-doubles and thirty-point games were achieved by several players.

Missouri Valley Conference

Northern Iowa split their first two Valley games but sophomore A.J. Green had two explosive first week performances. Green, this week’s ‘Player of the Week‘ scored 23 points in the Panthers’ loss to Illinois State and followed that with a 35-point performance during UNI’s defeat of Bradley.

The UNI guard is the Valley’s second leading scorer (18.4 ppg) and is third with 2.7 three-pointers per game.

Indiana State freshman Jake LaRavia scored 12 points in a Sycamore win and then added a career high 21 points against Drake. The 6’8 wing is this week’s ‘Newcomer of the Week‘ and became the first ISU player to receive a weekly nod.

Ohio Valley Conference

Preseason ‘Player of the Year‘ Terry Taylor is dominating the weekly awards. The Austin Peay junior earned his fifth ‘Player of the Week‘ award by averaging 24 points over the Governors’ three games. APSU dropped a decision to Georgia and then swept their first two conference games. Taylor recorded two, double-doubles and scored 32 points in APSU’s win over UT Martin. The 6’5 forward reached the thirty-point mark for the 4th time and his season total of double-doubles is now six.

Taylor recently topped the 1,500 point and 700 rebound plateau.

Southern Illinois Edwardsville’s first-ever win at Belmont was sparked by the play of transfer Zeke Moore. The 6’7 senior scored 17 key points in the Belmont victory and added 22 points during the Cougars’ narrow loss at Tennessee State. The former Tulsa and Saint Louis University forward is this week’s ‘Newcomer of the Week‘.

While Taylor is racking up weekly ‘Player’ awards, his freshman teammate, Jordyn Adams is running away with the ‘Freshman of the Week‘ awards. The Austin Peay guard earned his fourth such honor by averaging almost 17 points per game during the Governors’ busy week.

Adams shares the freshman honor with Morehead State forward Tyzhaun Claude. The 6’9 Claude recorded a double-double against Jacksonville State and added nine more points and ten rebounds against Tennessee Tech. Claude leads all OVC freshmen with 7.2 rebounds per game.

Other Explosive First Week Performances

Belmont’s Nick Muszynski recorded a 25-point/16 rebound double-double. Eastern Illinois’ Josiah Wallace scored 32 points in a losing effort at Tennessee State. While Moore’s heroics sparked SIUE to victory at Belmont, teammate Cameron Williams recorded a double-double. UT Martin teammates Quintin Dove and Parker Stewart each topped the 30-point mark. Dove scored 30 at Austin Peay and Stewart dropped 33 on Murray State.

Loyola’s Cameron Krutwig picked up another double-double scoring 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the Ramblers’ conference opening win. Then the 6’9 junior added 23 points in LUC’s tight victory over Missouri State. While Green was scoring those 35 points against Bradley, Tywhon Pickford was a beast on the boards. He grabbed a career high 16 rebounds.