MVC’s Three Most Important Freshmen

Building From the Bottom Up

(St. Louis, MO) – Building from the bottom up has traditionally been the way of the Valley. Freshmen that someday turn into juniors and seniors that lead their teams to championships has been ‘the Valley way’.

But, oh how the times have changed. As we saw in our last two articles, MVC schools have changed with times. Grad transfers, junior college additions and D1 free-agents are littered throughout the league. So what about the freshmen?

There are some great ones coming into the Valley. When top 100 guard A.J. Green signed with Northern Iowa it once again signaled that MVC teams could land some uber-talented players. This year there are some young stars that have joined the league.

Ford Cooper – One of Three Brilliant Bears

While Missouri State has some outstanding upper classmen, Dana Ford is still building from the bottom up. In-state stars Tyem Freeman (Springfield) and Isiaih Mosley (Columbia) are high-level talents. Freeman was the fourth highest rated player in the Show Me State and Mosley was ranked fifth. Both were ranked in the top 53 nationally at their respective positions.

When point guard Ford Cooper reclassified and joined the 2019 recruiting class, this group moved from outstanding to one of the best in Missouri State history. Cooper, was a top 105 player in the 2020 recruiting class. When reclassifying dropped to number 187 in this class and is ranked as the the 20^th    best point guard nationally.

Three top 60 players (at their respective positions) in one recruiting class, sets Ford’s class apart.

Cooper was recruited by Yale, Creighton and South Florida and landed with the Bears. He is a unique talent. His AAU coach told 247sports.com Cooper is a great ball-handler.

“He’s a better point guard who can score make plays and has the ball on a string,” Team Charlotte coach Jeff McInnis told 247Sports. “He’s the nephew of Vince Carter and Antwan Jamison. He’s a basketball kid that loves the game.”

With Missouri State’s talent and depth it is difficult to select one important freshman, but Cooper may be the best long-term difference-maker on the Bears’ roster.

DeAndre Williams – A Freshman – Kind Of

Williams’ credentials are impressive. The NBA Top 100 Camp invitee was recruited by Baylor, Houston, Oklahoma State and others, but signed with Evansville. Williams sat out last season, but is now eligible. Though he sat out last season, he will be a sophomore this year.

Williams was Evansville’s best player during their recent foreign tour. The 6’9 forward scored 73 points during the Aces’ three European victories. Those games reminded people of his final prep season, where he averaged 24 points-per-game for Nation Wide Academy (Oklahoma City).  His athletic ability and scoring touch are sorely needed in Evansville.

247sports.com called Williams the 24^th best small forward that season.

Coach Walter McCarty told gopurpleaces.com that Williams has a chance to have a special career.

His ability to make guys better, make shots and get to the rim is really special.  He has the opportunity to be a very good basketball player here, he has the chance to be one of the best to ever play at UE.  He will get better and better as he gets stronger.”

McCarty’s NBA style fits Williams’ game and should thrive this season.

Cobie Barnes – Indiana State’s ‘Extra Dimension’

Greg Lansing has recruited some size and has secured outstanding in-state talent. Four new players stand 6’7 or taller in this year’s incoming talent base. Three of his incoming freshmen rank in the Indy Star’s top 12 players.

Jake LaRavia (#6) is a 6’8 wing who had an explosive senior season. He originally committed to Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, but after a coaching change at SIUE he signed with the Sycamores. Jared Hankins (#9) is a 6’4 guard who Lansing describes as a tough-minded competitor. LaRavia and Hankins each averaged over 17 points per game last season.

Cobie Barnes is the ‘hoosier’ freshman that intrigues us. While he was ranked twelfth by the Indy Star, the 6’6 wing is an electric scorer. He accumulated over 1,300 high school points and averaged 25.3 points during his senior season.

By adding his offensive explosiveness, Lansing has four dangerous offensive weapons including Tyreke Key, Jordan Barnes and Cooper Neese. LaRavia and a quartet of post players should benefit from the attention given to those four marksmen.

Building From the Bottom Up

There is a large number of talented freshmen joining the Valley. Drake’s Joe Yesufu is a three-star recruit from Bollingbrook, IL. Illinois State’s Antonio Reeves was 268^th on 247sports.com’s list. Loyola’s Marquise Kennedy may be the best incoming freshman outside of Springfield, Missouri, but will likely be hemmed in a bit by transfers Jalon Pipkins and Keith Clemons (see Top Five Impact Transfers).

Northern Iowa’s Ben Jacobson always lands hidden gems and has three incoming freshmen standing 6’6 or better. Noah Carter was impressive during their summer trip to Italy. Alton, Illinois’ Donvan Clay fit right in during Valparaiso’s trip to Canada.

Frankly, there are many more rookies we are looking forward to seeing. While there are many talented ftransfers on MVC rosters, this league is still building from the bottom up.

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