How High Can The Bears Climb?

(Springfield, MO) – Can Missouri State climb into the upper echelon of the Missouri Valley Conference race? Many Valley watchers see the depth, returning talent and a strong recruiting class, and believe this is the Bears’ year for challenging the traditional league favorites.

Head Coach Paul Lusk has put together back-to-back stellar recruiting classes and for the first time in the 6^th year coach’s MSU career there are known commodities, better than average talent and returning lead players.

Reigning MVC Newcomer of the Year Dequon Miller (12.7 ppg) leads a group of five players that played significant minutes during last year’s 13 win season. Chris Kendrix was named to the Valley’s ‘most improved team’ and averaged 12.1 points and just under five rebounds per contest. Sophomores Ryan Kreklow, Jarred Dixon and Obadaih Church were major contributors last year and will be game changing players this season.

Miller not only led the Bears’ in scoring, but netted several game changing offensive plays. The 5’10 senior was also an honorable mention all-conference player in 2016.

Joining Miller in the Bears’ backcourt is highly rated junior college transfer Ronnie Rouseau. Both are under 6’ but both are determined defenders and potentially explosive scorers.

Despite his outstanding first in year in Springfield, Lusk says Miller’s best basketball is still ahead, and the two ‘lead’ guards can be dangerous while on the floor at the same time.

 

 

With nine of the 10 players on the all-conference teams departing through graduation, the Missouri Valley race looks more wide open than at any time in recent history.

Lusk says his team is poised to make a move up the ladder, but realizes all the predictions of Valley success always start with the powerful Wichita State Shockers.

 

 

MSU’s returners include two returning all-freshmen team members in Church and Dixon (8.0 ppg) who was fifth in the Valley in steals.

Two junior college transfers that bring some size and athleticism to the Bears’ line up are 6’6 wing man Jarrid Rhodes and 6’9 forward Alize Johnson.

Five other players could be wild cards for Lusk and the Bears. Red-shirt junior Austin Ruder (an all-freshman pick in 2014) and 6’11 senior Tyler McCullough are both fighting their way back from injuries. If healthy, both could become significant contributors to this edition of Bears basketball. Ruder made 128 three pointers in his first two years in Springfield.

The only freshman in this recruiting class is 3-star guard Greg Williams. The 6’6 guard is a different body-type for the Bear backcourt and was his team’s captain and was ranked as the ninth best player in the state of Virginia.

St. Louis natives Jordan Martin (Hazelwood Central) and Robin Thompson (MICDS) could find valuable minutes off the Bears bench.

Wichita State is loaded and Illinois State seems to be nipping at their heals. Northern Iowa is always good, and the question for Lusk and the Bears is can they leap over one of those typical contenders.

Do Good