Four Tier Rankings – Part Three – Big Improvements

Year Two Programs

(St. Louis, MO) – Three ‘Year Two Programs’ are looking for big improvements this season. Illinois State, Murray State and Evansville struggled through the first year of new coaching staffs, initial season rosters and learning the ropes. Now, Ryan Pedon, Steve Prohm and David Ragland begin their second seasons expecting big improvements.

During Part One of our ‘Four Tier Rankings’ we looked at teams that were ‘Stacked and Ready’. In Part Two we investigated three teams with ‘Scary Potential’ and today’s teams should make big improvements.

Valley Hoops Insider believes the Missouri Valley Conference will be significantly better than last year’s KenPom.com’s unusually low ranking. The MVC was dead in the middle of the national rankings at sixteenth behind leagues they usually outclass. Conferences like The Sun Belt, Big West and Ivy League finished higher the Valley and some of that ascension will come as these three teams produce big improvements.

That unacceptable position will likely be rectified this season.

Better and deeper rosters, the coaching staffs being more accustomed to the Valley and wise scheduling should push the entire league forward, but in particular these three teams.

As we proved with our last story, these rosters are all still in state of flux. The teams are listed in alphabetical order.

Four Tier Rankings – Big Improvements

Evansville Purple Aces – 5-27 (1-19)

There was and still is great excitement over the hiring of David Ragland as Evansville’s head coach. Last season was not an ‘on court’ success. Not only was the record atrocious, but the Purple Aces were last in the league in offense, defense, rebounding margin, assists and field goal percentage.

Big improvements are a must for the UE program.

It starts with roster renovation. Ragland’s late hire made it difficult for the staff to be as selective during the recruiting process last year, so renovation is in high gear. Gone from last year’s team are Marvin Coleman (graduation) and transfers Antoine Smith, Preston Phillips, Trey Hall, Gabe Spinelli, Logan McIntire, Matus Malovec, Chris Moncrief, Zaveion Chism-Okoh via transfer. This roster is stripped down and renovation is in full swing.

The Core

Evansville’s core is very thin, but not without talent. Kenny Strawbridge’s first season was highly productive. The Alabama State transfer was the Valley’s tenth leading scorer (14.4) and Strawbridge was a third-team, all-conference member. His multifaceted game (3.8 rebounds & two assists per game) is something for Ragland to build on.

And the cupboard isn’t bare. Gage Bobe, Yacine Toumi and Sekou Kalle all return. The well traveled Toumi averaged 10.4 points and 5.7 and topped the double-digit scoring mark seventeen times, including a late season, twenty-point performance against Illinois-Chicago. Toumi is not a pick and pop guy nor at 6’10 is he a true post player. He has to improve his free throw expertise to become a true offensive threat.

Former Kentucky all-stater (ranked third in the state his senior year) Sekou Kalle is another 6’10 player who transferred in last season. Limited to 15 games (twelve starts) by injury, Kalle was never able to showcase his strengths. He was a double-double machine in high school and recorded two, double digit rebounding performances in UE’s first three games. Limitations set in and the Louisville native didn’t play after January 4.

Bobe, whose picture should be on the ‘Most Improved’ trophy didn’t even get voted on to the Valley’s Most Improved team. The former walk on led the Aces in three-point baskets (46 at a .393 clip) and averaged 5.6 points per game. While not a classic point guard, he was a season long, steadying force for Ragland’s squad.

The Newcomers

Ragland’s staff bleeds purple and orange. Newly minted Associate Head Coach Craig Snow and assistant coach Marcus Wilson were UE stars. Wilson is one of the all-time greats. So the signing of the son of a UE legend, makes perfect sense.

Ohio Valley Conference ‘Freshman of the Year’ Cam Haffner is the son of former UE great Scott Haffner. The younger Haffner’s numbers don’t jump off the page, but the 6’2 guard was outstanding from deep for Marty Simmons’ Eastern Illinois Panthers.

Haffner averaged 7.5 points and just under two rebounds and just over one assist per game. His 44 triples would have led the Aces and his electrifying .427 percentage from long range makes him a needed and dangerous sniper. During his final prep season he was ranked as high as the Hoosier State’s fifth best player.

Big improvements and producing long term effects require the signing of outstanding prep players.

Impressive prep players are on the way to the Ford Center and they all have size. All offseason Ragland has said he wants to bring in ‘skill, shooting and size’. 6’11, 225 pound center Michael Day is rated as the State of Idaho’s twenty-fourth player best player. While listed as a center, Ragland believes Day has ‘guard/forward’ skills.

Day signed in the fall along with 6’5 shooting guard Braylon Jackson. The Florida native was ranked thirty-first in the Sunshine State and Ragland regards him as a three-level scorer. OntheRadarHoops.com says Jackson is exactly that.

“Jackson has great size and strength to be able to take defenders off the dribble and finish through contact. He has a very nice spot up jumper, but can also hit off the catch. Jackson truly embodies a three level scorer.”

A third prep star, Chuck Bailey III signed recently. Ranked sixth coming out of Michigan, Bailey is a three-star recruit whose high school career has taken him to three different states. CBIII’s father was a Michigan Wolverine

Also signing in the Fall was junior college transfer Tanner Cuff. He is a 6’6 point guard from routinely nationally ranked Salt Lake City Community College. The versatile distributor missed part of last season with a broken hand.

Ragland reached into the NAIA world to find 6’8 wing Benjamin Humrichous. Another Indiana native, the Huntington University (24-9) transfer averaged 12.8 points and 5.2 rebounds for a Foresters team that participated in the NAIA national tournament. His head coach Kory Alford is the son of former Missouri State coach Steve Alford. During his two seasons at Huntington he scored over 800 points.

Just before we published this article, UE signed Australian center Josh Hughes who comes from the NBA Global Academy and Centre of Excellence. The incoming freshman also played for his national team.

With these additions and a full offseason for the returners, Evansville should be up for some big improvements.

Illinois State Redbirds – 11-21 (6-14)

Like Ragland, Ryan Pedon enters his second season (ever) as a D1 head coach and is in a roster renovation. Illinois State lost fewer players from Pedon’s first season, but lost significant ones. He has been reloading quite well.

Tapping in to his Big Ten roots, the second year Redbird leader has drawn in a Big Ten big man and a veteran guard.

While Illinois State returns an experienced lineup, no Redbird was named to any league-wide honor. Ball-handling, creating offense and winning on the road were dark places for ILS. Pedon’s squad lost nine of its ten Valley contests away from CEFCU Arena and the team was the league’s worst in turnover margin and in assist-turnover ratio.

The Core

Illinois State returns four of its top five scorers from last year’s eleven-win team. Darius Burford, (12.9 ppg), leading rebounder Kendall Lewis (10.9 & 7.3 rebounds), leading three point shooter (49 triples) Malachi Poindexter (9.4) and Luke Kasubke (6.8).

Burford also led the team in assists (76) and free throw percentage (.816). Lewis recorded an historically unique season, totaling over 200 rebounds, 45 assists and 46 steals. He is a dynamic defender who can guard multiple positions.

Illinois State’s other returners are Harouna Sissooko is a 6’7 forward who appeared in 23 games (starting eleven) and 6’11 Ryan Schmitt played 13 games.

The Redbirds needed reinforcements.

The Newcomers

Wisconsin has been very kind to the Redbirds! Three of their current newcomers come from the ‘Dairy State’. Perhaps assistant coach Rob Judson’s time on the Marquette staff is paying off in Bloomington-Normal.

Arguably the star of this crop is Wisconsin’s ‘Co-Mr. Basketball’ John Kinziger. The early signee from De Pere is ranked as the State’s second best player. During his senior season, the De Pere Redbirds finished 30-0 winning the Division 1 title game by 20 points.

Kinziger finished his prep career as the Green Bay Metro area all-time leading scorer.

Southern Illinois transfer Dalton Banks hails from Eau Claire, Wisconsin and gives the Redbirds a veteran guard with Missouri Valley experience. He averaged 14 minutes per game for a Saluki team that boasted of two all-conference guards. The 6’2 Banks has appeared in 89 SIU games and last year averaged 3.9 points per contest.

The third ‘cheese-head’ is Wisconsin transfer Jordan Davis. After three seasons with the Badgers, the 6’4 Davis is coming to the Valley. Davis averaged 5.1 points while starting 18 games and participating in 35. His 75 games of Big Ten experience will come in handy.

Three other prep players are part of the mix. Tapping into Pedon’s time in Columbus, Ohio brings the state’s ninth rated player Chase Walker. The 6’8 Walker used to weigh over 400 pounds, but is a svelte 297 now and averaged 18 points per game during his senior season.

Walker is joined by 6’6 wing Ty Pence. The St. Joseph, Illinois native lives about an hour from ILS and averaged 24 points during his junior season. As the eleventh highest rated Illinois prep senior, he had interest from a number of Division 1 programs including Wake Forest.

Ty Blake is a preferred walk on from Normal.

Pedon’s connections to the Big Ten paid off in signing Davis, but also in landing Illinois center Brandon Lieb. The Seven-footer played just 31 games in three seasons with the Illini after a high school career that saw him ranked 25^th in his senior class. Lieb played AAU ball under Mike Mullins the father of SIU head coach Bryan.

This team is deeper, older and more talented than the one Illinois State fielded last season. Look for the Redbirds to make big improvements.

Murray State Racers – 17-15 (11-9)

While this team is still one of the mysteries at this point, we expect big improvements, but a number of things must fall Murray State’s way. When you look at the core, it is fairly thin and when you look at the newcomers, there are still holes to fill, but the players returning, a full offseason with a proven winner like Steve Prohm and the potential of players on the way gives us confidence about this improvement.

Murray State sustained rather large losses in the transfer of D.J. Burns and the turning professional of Jamari Smith. Rob Perry is part of the ‘mystery’ part of this story. We are told he is pursuing professional options, but could also return to the Racer program. The third-team all-Valley forward and ninth leading scorer is a proven offensive talent and would make every other player’s growth or transition easier. His decisions will go a long way toward the direction of the upcoming season.

No other Racer was named to any of the league-wide teams.

The Core

Murray State has long been known for its guard play. Ja Morant is just the latest of a long line of truly special guards. This year’s team returns veterans Quincy Anderson, Brian Moore and JaCobi Wood. While none of those players will make you forget Isaiah Canaan, they collectively are solid.

Wood is the team’s leading returning scorer (10.6 ppg) and distributor (147 assists). The 6’2 guard is adequate (.343) from deep and outstanding from the line (.811) and led the league in minutes played.

At times both Moore (8.2) and Anderson (7.0) showed the ability to be ‘lead guards’. While Moore’s Arch Madness experience wasn’t’ outstanding, ten of his 11 double digit scoring performances came during Valley play. The versatile Anderson’s final six games saw him reach double digits five times and close the season averaging 14.2 points over that span.

Youngsters Justin Morgan and Sam Murray II showed promise and will benefit greatly from a full offseason under Prohm and his staff. Red-shirt Patrick Chew returns. Morgan is a 6’6 guard that didn’t shine brightly, but looked like he belonged and like a young race horse, will be very good once he ‘gets his legs under him’. Big improvements by these three is a hidden feature for this team and would deepen Prohm’s bench at talent pool.

Murray’s roster still has holes, but if Perry fills one of them, some other things fall into place. While deficiencies remain, Prohm has landed two, top-level prep players, a solid D1 transfer and a very promising junior college player.

This team is more of a mystery and Perry’s situation bears watching, but there should be big improvements for the league’s most consistent fan base. Murray State was the Valley’s attendance leader.

The Newcomers

The prize of this recruiting class is Ohio native Lawrent Rice. ESPN tagged the 6’3 point guard as a four-star recruit and he is rated as Ohio’s fifth best player and a top-200 player nationally. Ohio State, Louisville and Penn State recruited Rice. He has size, length, speed and has the potential to step right into the lineup and make a difference.

6’9 power forward John McCrear is rated as the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s ninth best player and ranked just outside of the nation’s top 200. He chose Murray over multiple D1 offers and interest from power conference schools. While McCrear is a solid post player Prohm expects his game to expand.

Mercer transfer Shawn Walker Junior played one season at George Washington in addition to his two with Mercer. Last season the 6’6 guard averaged 8.5 points and 2.4 rebounds while connecting on nearly 40% of his shots from distance. The versatile Walker has collected just under 200 rebounds and 200 assists during his three D1 seasons.

Jucorecruiting.com’s twentieth ranked player is new Racer Malek Abdelgowad. The 6’10 native of Egypt played two seasons at the highly regarded South Plains Community College (Texas) and has played on the FIBA circuit. Abelgowad is growing into his game, but is an outstanding rebounder and screener.

Big improvements for these three teams will strengthen the league’s national metrics and abilities at post season play.

Do Good

Editor: All state rankings come from prephoops.com