MVC/OVC Fourth Week Standouts

Season Hitting High Gear

(West Africa) – Fourth week standouts brought great performances in both the Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley Conferences. While the Missouri Valley launched into conference play, the OVC continued to battle non-conference foes.

There was some stiff competition for this week’s award winners.

Fourth Week Standouts – Ohio Valley

Morehead State forward Riley Minix becomes the first repeat winner of the OVC’s ‘Player of the Week’ award. The 6’7 wing sparked the Eagles to a pair of victories by averaging a double-double (21 points & ten rebounds). His career high 25-point game led MSU to an 87-80 win over Chattanooga.

In addition to the first award, Minix a Huntington University (NAIA) transfer, also took home his second ‘Newcomer of the Week’ award. He is tied for the OVC lead with three double-doubles. Jamir Chaplin, Jacob Crews and Damarco Minor are all looking for their fourth.

Speaking of repeaters, Tennessee State’s Jaylen Jones is bringing home the ‘Freshman of the Week’ award for the second straight week. The 6’1 guard averaged 12.5 points and five rebounds and five assists as the Tigers split their two games.

Jones’ ‘Co-Freshman of the Week‘ is Tennessee Tech’s Rylee Samons. The 6’7 forward scored a career-high 20 points in one game and six more in another. This is the first time this season there have been two freshmen recognized in the same week.

Fourth Week Standouts – Missouri Valley

Darnell Brodie is the second Drake Bulldog to claim a ‘Player of the Week’ award. Tucker DeVries claimed the first week honor. Brodie tied his career high of 21 points in a Bulldog win over Valparaiso and then added twelve more points during a win over Missouri State. The sixth-year senior leads the Valley and is sixth nationally in field goal percentage (.7018) and is averaging a career-best 13.9 points per game.

Isaiah Swope is one of the top three-point shooters nationally and in the Valley. The Indiana State guard scored 22 and 18 points in the Sycamores’ opening two MVC games and is this week’s ‘Newcomer of the Week’. Swope is making a league best and tied for fourth nationally 3.75 three-pointers per game. His 18.75 points-per-game average is third in the Valley.

Evansville’s Chuck Bailey III is the first repeat winner of a Valley weekly award. The rookie claimed his second ‘Freshman of the Week’ award by throwing in 27 points during the Purple Aces’ loss at Missouri State and followed up with six more during UE’s victory over Northern Iowa.

 

Editor: Cover photo of Riley Minix courtesy of msueagles.com.