MVC – Rookies on the Rise

First Year Players Making a Difference

(St. Louis, MO) – Freshman come in with great promise, flash brightly, hit a road bump and then react. How they react determines whether they are rookies on the rise, or players settling into a role.

This season’s freshman class came with high level credentials. One player was an ESPN Top 100 recruit. Two had transferred after originally signing with higher profile programs and several brought multiple recruiting stars to campus.

So who are the rookies on the rise?

Green – Validating the Hype

Northern Iowa’s A.J. Green is the Missouri Valley’s most decorated recruit in recent memory. The prolific scoring Cedar Falls native was ranked in the mid-seventies by various recruiting services. The son of UNI assistant coach Kyle Green, A.J. decided to ‘stay home’ and play with the program he had belonged to most of his life.

Head coach Ben Jacobson tried to manage the lofty expectations thrust on Green and also to give Green every opportunity to shine. A.J. has excelled.

The younger Green has not disappointed. He’s averaging 15.1 points and over two rebounds and two assists per game. In 28 games he has scored under ten points six times and reached at least 20 points eight times.

Green’s .341 percentage from deep doesn’t jump off the page, but he has converted 59 times from long range, and he and Drake’s D.J. Wilkins are the only freshmen among the Valley’s top ten in that department.

Jacobson has employed freshman starters before, but says none has come with the production of this uniquely talented star.

 

 

Stealing Some Headlines

Javon Freeman came to Valparaiso ranked as the sixth best player in the State of Illinois. The Chicago native (Whitney-Young) was a three-star player from the Windy City’s Public High league basketball factory. After back-to-back state championship game appearances and averaging 20 points per game, Freeman was stamped for success.

He came to Valpo with less fanfare than Green, but he has had a dynamic freshman season. He opened the season with a 22-point/three steal performance and has continued to ‘steal his way into our hearts’.

The 6’3 guard leads the Valley in steals (2.1 per MVC contest) and averages 11 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. While he has struggled offensively in recent games, but his defense never rests. He’s riding an eight game, multi-steal streak where he’s been confirmed stealing 20 times.

Fellow freshman Daniel Sackey gives the Crusaders two rookies on the rise and head coach Matt Lottich says those two have given his team a boost of energy.

 

 

Saturday the Crusaders travel to Northern Iowa for a matchup between these two teams and rookies on the rise.

Drake Trio

A trio of first year players are part of the resurgence at Drake. Guards D.J. Wilkins, Garrett Sturtz and 7-footer Liam Robbins are playing important roles. After red-shirting at Florida Southwestern State College, Wilkins transferred with the Murphy twins to Des Moines.

A three-star recruit coming out of Merrilville (IN) High, Wilkins has been a significant part of first-year coach Darian DeVries’ rotation from day one. The 6’2 guard is averaging 11.4 points per game and as mentioned above, is one of the Valley’s top three-point shooters.

Wilkins averages 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, while connecting on just under 40 % from deep. He leads the Valley in free-throw percentage (.892 – Green is second) and along with Evansville freshman Shamar Givance is tied for eighth in assists.

Sturtz’s role has been growing all season and Robbins seems to be growing into his role of giving Nick McGlynn some occasional time off. (BTW, ESPN’s profiles of Sturtz & Robbins have some comical mistakes).

Neese & Ridder

Indiana State’s Cooper Neese and Missouri State’s Jared Ridder came to their respective schools with similar pedigree. Both were all-state, prolific scoring, high school players.

Neese (Butler) and Ridder (Xavier) originally signed at higher profile programs and then transferred closer to home. Both players had to sit out the first semester for eligibility reasons.

Neese took several weeks to get going, but the 6’4 guard is on fire right now. After 14 games with just four double digit scoring performances, Neese has turned the trick five straight games and in that time is averaging over 15 points per game.

While his thre-point shooting has improved in recent weeks, Ridder, the Springfield (MO) Kickapoo High School product has yet to find his stride. Ridder has made four of his last five long distance shots over the course of three games.

Saturday the maturation of Neese and Ridder will be on display when their teams clash in Springfield.

There are numerous freshman growing in responsibility on their teams. Evansville’s Walter McCarty brags about his freshmen Jawaun Newton and Shamar Givance, and Loyola’s Porter Moser does the same about a trio of Rambler freshmen. Ja’ Shon Henry is becoming more a part of Brian Wardle’s rotation at Bradley.

McCarty says Newton and Givance have had their moments.

 

 

Moser says Isaiah Bujdoso, and highly rated Franklin Agunanne and Cooper Kaifes have jumped right into the Loyola culture and while making freshmen mistakes, they are rookies on the rise.

 

 

Recruiting is the life-blood of every Valley program. Transfers from other programs play an important role too, but high level production from freshman can be the spark that pushes a team forward in March.

Rookies on the rise could be the difference at Arch Madness.

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