MVC – Where Are the Stars?

Nick McGlynn for MVP? 

(St. Louis, MO) – Raise your hand if you predicted Nick McGlynn would lead the league in scoring and rebounding! After five Missouri Valley Conference games, the Drake senior leads both categories in conference only games. That leads us to the question; ‘Where are the stars?’

One of the members of the MVC Preseason Team rank in the top five in scoring. One is in the top five in rebounding and none can be found on the assist leaders quintet of leaders. If we add the second team members, two more are added to that scoring race, but no where else.

Where are the stars?

McGlynn and Missouri State’s Tulio Da Silva are the top two rebounders in conference play and McGlynn (18 ppg) is first in scoring while Da Silva is fourth (16 ppg). Illinois State’s Phil Fayne is the only preseason first-teamer to crack the top five with a scoring average of 14.6 and his teammate Milik Yarbrough is the only one on the rebounding list at 8.2 per game.

The three remaining first-teamers, defending Larry Bird Trophy winner Clayton Custer, Jordan Barnes and Armon Fletcher are conspicuous in their absences from these statistical categories.

Second team members Marques Townes (Custer’s Loyola teammate) and Kavion Pippen (Fletcher’s SIU teammate) are second and third in the scoring race. But, where are the stars?

Shooting Slumps

Indiana State’s Barnes and second team members Darrell Brown (Bradley) and Keyshawn Evans (Illinois State) have fallen into horrendous shooting slumps. Evans has struggled all year, but during conference play Brown and  Barnes have hit a Titanic-like iceberg.

All three are proven shooters and scorers….. but not lately.

Evans’ three-point shooting percentages from the past two seasons have been .381 and .419. This season it has fallen to .311 and in league play to .286.

Barnes was having a career year prior to Valley play. However, in five league games he is converting .259 of his two-point attempts and .172 from long distance. Brown’s numbers are bad too, but he had one dynamic game that hides the very deep slump he’s been in.

The Bradley junior is converting .323 from inside the arc and .320 beyond it. His 32 point explosion against Indiana State (8 of 17 shooting) masks his 27% completion rate in the other four conference games.

Valley coaches know how to scheme and defend these outstanding players, and they haven’t been able to make the needed adjustments.

Fletcher is Coming Back

Fletcher has returned from suspension and doesn’t ‘qualify’ in the league statistical categories yet. Since his return he’s averaging 17 points per game. When he ‘qualifies’ he’ll be among the league leaders.

Challenging McGlynn

Townes and Pippen have been very good. Loyola’s Townes has become the Ramblers’ go-to offensive player, averaging 17.4 points during league contests. Pippen is third behind McGlynn and Townes with a 16.4 average and leads the league in blocked shots. In the absence of Fletcher and the slow return of Thik Bol, Pippen has shouldered a significant load.

The Illinois State forwards Fayne and Yarbrough have been good. They are both averaging over 14 points per game and ranked in the top ten in the league’s rebounding race. Either could emerge as a dominant player. Yarbrough’s overall game could carry him to MVP status.

Loyola’s Custer and reigning ‘Freshman of the Year’ Cameron Krutwig have been fine too. But we’re asking where are the stars?

We have probably come to expect too much from those on preseason lists. Custer is scoring at virtually the same rate as last season, but his assists are down and his turnovers are slightly up. His shooting percentages are still very good, but down from last season.

Krutwig’s game continues to grow and he is having a very solid sophomore season. Where the Ramblers are concerned, we fallen into the trap of expecting magic and heroics every night. By the way they are 4-and-1 and tied for first place.

Where are the stars?

With 13 games left in the Valley season, they are still to be determined.

Do Good