MVC/OVC Players Creating a Stir

Williams Sweeps MVC Honors

(St. Louis, MO) – As Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley Conference basketball players head for finals, the two leagues have announced their weekly award winners. Both leagues have players that are creating a stir.

One league has a player that has won three of five ‘Newcomer of the Week’ awards, the other has a player that has turned that same trick in the ‘Player of the Week’ honors. The season is long, but Austin Peay’s Terry Taylor and Evansville’s DeAndre Williams are creating a stir.

Missouri Valley Conference

Williams is fulfilling his great potential and the Purple Aces are the only MVC team averaging 80 points per game. The 6’9 sophomore averaged 29 points per game last week and is averaging 16.7 through UE’s first ten games. Williams has recorded three double-doubles and has reached the 20-point plateau five times including the last three.

He is both the ‘Player of the Week’ and the ‘Newcomer of the Week’. It is his third ‘Newcomer’ award. His shooting percentage was an amazing 88.5 % while making 23 of 26 shots. He shot .944 field goal percentage against Miami (Ohio) which was the best Division 1 player performance this decade.

Ohio Valley Conference

While Williams earned both awards in the MVC, there were five players picking up honors in the OVC.

There were ‘Co-Players of the Week’ this week. One of those players, Austin Peay’s Taylor won his third straight weekly award. The preseason ‘Player of the Year’ averaged 20 points and nine rebounds per game and continues to lead the league in scoring and is second in rebounding.

Sharing the award is Belmont’s Adam Kunkel who scored 27 points in the Bruins’ win over Lipscomb. He is second to Taylor in the OVC’s scoring race (22.5 to 18.8 per game)

Eastern Illinois’ George Dixon’s week included recording his third double-double and averaging 16.5 points and 13.5 rebounds. The 6’5 transfer from Vincennes University has taken over the OVC’s rebounding lead from Taylor (9.6 to 9.1). Dixon is the ‘Newcomer of the Week’.

Carlos Paez earned a share of the ‘Freshman of the Week’ award for the second straight week and has given Austin Peay its fourth straight honor. Paez averaged 11 points and four assists. Southeast Missouri’s DQ Nicholas shares this week’s  ‘Freshman‘ honor. The Atlanta native averaged 14 points and 4.5 rebounds. During the Redhawks’ game with Abilene Christian Nicholas made all 14 of his free throws.