4 Biggest Surprises in Missouri Valley Conference

(St. Louis, MO) – As expected, Wichita State and Illinois State are leading the Missouri Valley Conference race, but what are the biggest surprises of this basketball season?

Which players and which teams have surprised us the most?

Wichita State’s Unpredictability

We knew Wichita State would be very good, deep and athletic. What we didn’t know is that we would have no idea who their best player would be on any given day. Sophomore Markis McDuffie was a pre-season all-conference player and he may receive that recognition this post season too, but McDuffie’s lack of all-star stats points to the balance, and the unpredictability of the Shocker line up.

Early in the season newcomer Darral Willis and McDuffie were coming off the bench and were head coach Gregg Marshall’s weapons to ignite his team. Great things were expected of Shaquille Morris, but a slow start and an early season injury slowed the big junior’s progress. Willis and Morris seem to take turns in the starting line up.

Landry Shamet has been a constant in the Shocker back court (and he’s the only player to start every game), but it has taken awhile for junior Conner Frankamp to find the role, in which he is now is excelling.

Nine different players have had scoring honors during individual games. Counting those occasions where two players tied for the team lead, Shamet has led the team seven times and McDuffie and Morris have turned the trick in six contests. Frankamp has led the team three times. Once during the second game of the season and then again in two of the last three games.

Players That Did Not Emerge

Last season’s all-freshman team member Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye was a player we knew would ascend this season. Instead, he and other sophomores that showed good potential as Bradley freshmen like fellow all-freshman team member Luuk van Bree and St. Louisan Ronnie Suggs, have not been nearly as productive and have been replaced in the Brave rotation by new Bradley players Darrell Brown and transfer Jo Jo McGlaston.

Big men are hard to come by and Drake senior center Jacob Enevold has flashed abilities during his time in Des Moines, but once again this season he has fallen short of the hoped for production. The 7′ Denmark native is playing less than eight minutes per game.

When Willie Wiley arrived at Evansville two years ago, it was deemed a recruiting steal for Marty Simmons’ team. While Wiley has missed some time due to injury, his production hasn’t matched his potential.

After being named to the ‘Most Improved’ team last season, Missouri State junior Chris Kendrix hasn’t been a significant factor this year. He was a double figure scorer in 2015-16, but started slowly with some injury issues, then was suspended briefly and has rarely been a key contributor.

Late Season Revivals

Every time we read some Valley team their ‘last rites’ they rise from the dead. Have we ever seen two teams more worthy of cashing in their chips than Evansville and Indiana State? By the end of January both teams had just one conference victory. By mid February they both have four league wins as Indiana State has won three of their last four games and Evansville has seized three straight contests. Greg Lansing (INS) and Marty Simmons (UE) have done miraculous forms of resurrection and the Sycamores and Aces are playing there best basketball of the season.

Dominating Newcomers

Newcomers have played a significant role in this Valley season. No newcomer has had the impact of Missouri State’s Alize Johnson. The 6’9 junior leads the MVC in rebounding (10.4 per game) and is one of the top inside/outside threats in college basketball. The Frank Phillips College transfer is averaging 14.1 points per game, is making just under 40 % of his long distance attempts AND averages just under two assists per game.

Loyola’s Aundre Jackson has rebounded from a mid season slump and is averaging 14.1 points per game. Bradley’s McGlaston is his team’s second leading scorer. Illinois State’s Phil Fayne has started every Redbird game and is averaging ten points per game, and is now playing a larger role for the injury depleted Redbirds. Wichita State’s Willis and Daishon Smith have been key contributors in Marshall’s merry-go-round line up. Willis has led the team in scoring four times, Smith twice and Willis is the team’s third leading scorer and second leading rebounder.

Do Good