MVC/OVC – This Week’s Star Players

Not One Was Here Last Year

(St. Louis, MO) – The remade Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley Conferences have announced this week’s star players and not one of them was with their team or in these leagues last year.

During this transition season for both ‘valleys’ newcomers are making a huge impact. Neither of the leagues’ top scorers were around last season. None of this week’s star players were either.

Players of the Week

Belmont’s Carter Whitt had quite a week. While his numbers were really good, it was when and how he delivered them that made him one of this week’s stars. The Wake Forest transfer averaged twelve points, eight rebounds, 8.5 assists and three steals during two Bruin victories. But the ‘Player of the Week’ delivered a crucial steal and a game winning basket in one victory and four clinching free throws in the other. Whitt is fourth in the Valley, handing out 4.4 assists per game.

Western Illinois’ Sean Smith led the Leathernecks (6-4) to a pair of wins with back-to-back triple doubles. The Alabama State transfer is the nation’s only player with two triple doubles and is just the third OVC player to record more than one in the same season. This week’s ‘Player of the Week’ averaged 17 points, 13.5 rebounds and ten assists during WIU’s two victories.

This Week’s Star Players – Newcomers

Indiana State (6-4, 1-0) has won three straight games and Presbyterian transfer Samage Teel is an emerging Valley star. Teel scored 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out nine assists during the Sycamores’ road win at Missouri State. This week’s MVC ‘Newcomer of the Week’ has recorded six, twenty-point performances and is third in the Valley’s scoring race (17.2 ppg).

Smith is also the OVC ‘Newcomer of the Year’. His historic week brought the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth triple doubles in OVC history. No OVC player has previously recorded back-to-back triple doubles. The 6’3 senior is third in the league’s assist race (5.4 per game).

Freshmen of the Week

Bradley’s Jaquan Johnson has made impact all season and is this week’s Valley ‘Freshman of the Week’. The Milwaukee native scored nine points, snagged five steals and handed out five assists during the Braves’ (8-1, 1-0) win at Southern Illinois.

The OVC ‘Freshman of the Week’ award should be titled the ‘Lindenwood Lions’ Freshman of the Week’. Through the first five weeks of the season, only Lion rookies have claimed the award. LU’s Clayton Jackson earned this week’s nod by averaging eleven points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals. This is Jackson’s second weekly mention. Teammate Jadis Jones has earned the award the other three weeks.

 

Editor: Cover photo of Sean Smith courtesy of goleathernecks.com.