(St. Louis, MO) – This may be the best senior class in the 109 year history of the Missouri Valley Conference. There have been great ones before, but when you take the seniors from this year’s edition of Valley basketball, you would be hard pressed to find one with the collective accomplishments by the ‘Class of 2016.
Winning
The three long-term seniors at Wichita State (Fred VanVleet, Ron Baker and Evan Wessel) have won more games and at a higher winning percentage than any group in Shocker or MVC history. Without numbing your minds with all the numbers, Wessel is the winningest player (by percentage) in all of America. VanVleet is about to pass former teammate Tekele Cotton for the most wins in a Wichita State uniform, and these three seniors have done this all together.
Three long-term seniors at Evansville (D. J. Balentine, Egidijus Mockevicius and Adam Wing) have won more games at the Division 1 level then any collective group in Aces history and last year they won the College Insider.com Tournament title.
That scrappy bunch of seniors at Northern Iowa (Wes Washpun, Matt Bohannon and Paul Jespersen) have defeated nationally ranked teams with such regularity that we’re no longer surprised. They’ve turned that trick four times in the last two years.
Northern Iowa Head Coach Ben Jacobson says this group of seniors have been great on the floor, off the court and for the league.
Individual Accomplishments
Balentine will finish his career as the fourth highest scorer in Valley history behind some guys named Hawkins, Robertson and Bird. His Lithuanian teammate (Mockevicius) is fifth on the all-time rebounding list trailing only Wes Unseld, Xavier McDaniel, Oscar Robertson and Larry Bird, and he may still catch ‘the Legend’ before this season ends. Mockevicius has accumulated the second most blocks in the 109-year history of Valley basketball.
Southern Illinois’ Anthony Beane will go down as one of the greatest scorers in Saluki history. He is currently third on that list an even 1,900 points.
SIU Head Coach Barry Hinson says there are always great senior classes, but this year’s group is truly special.
Khristian Smith and Devonte Brown have spent four years tormenting teams throughout the Valley. Both eclipsed the 1,000 point mark this season.
VanVleet recently became the all-time assists leader at Wichita State and is in the league’s top five. He has grabbed over 200 steals and is in the top 20 in Valley history. VanVleet and Baker have combined to score roughly 3,000 points and both will finish their Shocker careers in the top 20 of WSU’s scoring list. Baker has made more three pointers than all but one Shocker and could end up on top of that list before this run is over.
Bohannon has risen to the top spot on the Panther three point basket list. He obliterated the former record of 203 with a total of 264 and counting. He is two away from seventh on the Valley’s career trifecta list.
Winning games, racking up numbers and giving back to their programs. This senior class my be the best ever, and has been a privilege to watch.
Do Good
Twitter Feed
.@SEMOMBB wins at home and is 2-0, tied with @MSUEaglesMBB atop the @OVCSports. Our prayers are with the @LRTrojans after the death of one of their managers Josh Claxton. Their game with EIU was postponed today.
Good officiating in the @SEMOMBB/@SIUEMBB in a little late game dust up.
BTW, @LindenwoodWBB is 2-0. @CoachAmyEagan has that program headed the right direction.
With @SkyhawkHoops winning on the road and @LUMensBball winning at home, right now, 5 @OVCSports teams are 1-1.
