Ranking Missouri Valley Units

Part One – MVC Backcourts

(St. Louis, MO) – Great backcourts win championships and there are some really good backcourt combinations on this year’s Missouri Valley Conference rosters. During ‘Part One’ of our Missouri Valley  Units Rankings we’ll rate this season’s guard combinations.

While numerous outstanding guards on last year’s teams have departed, the Valley has plenty of backcourt talent remaining and MVC coaches have recruited big time backcourt replacements. Incoming freshmen and veteran transfers dot most league members’ rosters.

Gone are seven guards from last year’s group of 16, all-conference players. First-teamers Ben Sheppard (Belmont) and Drake’s Roman Penn graduated with Sheppard heading to the National Basketball Association. Indiana State’s Courvoisier McCauley and Cameron Henry and Drake’s Garrett Sturtz graduated, while Southern Illinois’ Lance Jones and Illinois Chicago’s Jace Carter transferred.

For the sake of these rankings we have labeled ‘small forwards’ or ‘wings’ as part of each team’s frontcourt. Some fans and coaches would identify those players differently. Three of the six returning all-conference players fall into that ‘wing’ category. We’re calling Drake’s Tucker DeVries, Missouri State’s Donovan Clay and Murray State’s Rob Perry small forwards.

Only Northern Iowa’s Bowen Born and Evansville’s Kenny Strawbridge are returning all-conference guards. We’ll rank the Valley’s top six backcourt units.

Number Six – Indiana State Sycamores

This is an interesting mix. Coach Josh Schertz’s backcourt committee has the potential to be truly special, but that dreaded ‘potential’ word always makes me nervous. Julian Larry is the only returning guard with experience and impact. The 6’3 junior is an elite defender and during one, four-game stretch was the league’s best player. Larry was named to the Valley’s all-defense team and from December 29 to January 7, he averaged 17 points and five assists per game. During that stretch he connected on 12 of 14 free throws , and an astounding 19 of 22 shots from the field.

The transfers and an incoming freshman give this team a huge upside in the backcourt. Former Ohio Valley Conference stars Isaiah Swope (Southern Indiana) and Jake Wolfe (Morehead State) bring instant credibility to the ISU guard brigade. Swope was an OVC first teamer and Wolfe was a major part of the Eagles’ recent success. The 6’5 Wolfe is a rugged defender and plays winning basketball.

Swope is a deep threat and another outstanding defender. The Newburgh, Indiana native made 74 triples (.420) and collected 46 steals.

South Florida transfer Ryan Conwell is another Indiana native ‘coming home’ after starting 21 games and averaging 5.1 points for the Bulls.

The prize of this group might be freshman Eli Shetlar. The 6’6 guard is currently ranked as the second best high school player coming from the State of Kansas. He has been ranked number one at other times. The Andover High grad averaged 17.3 points, eight rebounds per game while setting a school single-season record for three pointers.

Number Five – Bradley Braves

The fact that Bradley is fifth tells you the Valley has some extremely strong guard groups. Returners Duke Deen and Connor Hickman are very solid. Deen is coming off an ‘all-newcomer’ team honor and former ‘all-freshman’ team member Hickman seems poised to have a break out season. Each of the returners are capable from long distance and can play point guard. Hickman commands the offense while Deen energizes it.

Sophomore transfers Trey Pettigrew (Nevada) and Emarion Ellis (Marquette) come from solid programs and coming out of high school, were top ten players in their respective states. They and incoming freshman Demarion Burch are ‘bigger’ guards at 6’4 and taller. While Pettigrew appeared in 27 Wolfpack games, Ellis missed last season with a stress fracture.

Burch averaged over 27 points and nearly five rebounds and five assists on his way to a season where he received a top-ten in-state rating. Coach Brian Wardle calls Burch and explosive athlete who can score in every way possible.

Number Four – Missouri State Bears

Dana Ford’s team was talented last season and is better this year. Returners Alston Mason and Damien Mayo are back. Each had a productive first season in Springfield, Missouri and has a high ceiling of expectation. Neither had numbers that greatly impressed, but when you watch Mayo you constantly see ‘winning plays’.

Ford trusts Mayo with the ball and to be responsible on the defensive end. Mason has the potential to be an explosive scorer.

Perhaps the most important returner is a player that missed the entire season. St. Peters transfer Matthew Lee was set to be the Bears’ quarterback, but a torn ACL sidelined the man who drove the bus to St. Peters’ 2022 Sweet Sixteen run. Missouri State’s struggles in the backcourt led to some struggles on the offensive end. MSU averaged just 65.6 points per game.

Lee has been impressing coaches and teammates this offseason and looks ready to command the Bears’ ship once again.

Highly regarded freshmen Davion Hill and Nick Kramer add depth and talent to Ford’s backcourt. Kramer, ranked ninth in the State of Missouri in 2022, redshirted at Saint Louis University last year. Hill is the younger brother of former Bears’ great Alize Johnson and was rated as Pennsylvania’s sixth best prospect. The 6’2 Hill is a two-time, Pennsylvania Player of the Year.

Number Three – Drake Bulldogs

During the largest shakeup in the Drake roster since Darian DeVries arrived in Des Moines, the two-time Valley Coach of the Year excelled in portal acquisitions. While Conor Enright (all-freshman team) returns, it is three transfers that have placed the Bulldogs in the third slot.

Enright provided many good moments last season and still may valuable ‘glue man’, but if Drake is to compete for the Valley’s top spot, the newcomers must shine.

Drake’s offense will run through reigning Player of the Year Tucker DeVries, but Drake’s backcourt must produce for DeVries to have room to work his magic.

Transfers Ethan Roberts (Army), Kyron Gibson (UT Arlington) and Atin Wright (Cal State Northbridge) are proven, Division 1, double-digit scorers. Roberts was the Patriot League’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ and Wright was an honorable mention, all-Big West Conference player.

Freshmen Chico Johnson, Kevin Overton and Colby Garland bring skill and impressive credentials. Overton played at the prestigious Sunrise Christian Academy where he was ranked as Kansas’ seventh rated player. Four star recruit Johnson was an early Drake signee. Garland starred in Arkansas before joining the nation’s hottest new prep school, Link Year Academy.

Number Two – Belmont Bruins

Belmont’s first Missouri Valley Conference season was a successful one winning 14 conference games and proving they will be an upper echelon Valley team. Casey Alexander’s team stayed true to the ‘Belmont Blueprint’ of fast-paced, intelligent offense and solid ‘team’ defense.

How can a team that loses a first-round NBA draft pick (Ben Sheppard) from its backcourt possess the league’s second best  guard brigade? Ranking the Missouri Valley units is heavily weighted towards known commodities. Belmont’s returners are special.

Fifth year guard Keishawn Davidson was one of the MVC’s top distributors despite playing most of the season with a significantly limited shoulder. The former Tennessee Tech guard does everything well collecting career totals of over 1,100 points, 500 assists and nearly 150 three pointers. Davidson’s dependability is exceptional.

All-Freshman team and all-bench team member Ja’Kobi Gillespie is poised for a big season. The 6′ sophomore provided a consistent spark from the Belmont bench. Despite playing behind Davidson and Sheppard, he averaged 9.6 points and 3.3 assists. The former ‘Mr. Tennessee Basketball’ finished ninth in assists and third in the Valley’s steals charts. While he can break down defenders, his long range game must improve.

Alexander believes in recruiting players that have experienced success at the high school level. Like Gillespie and Cade Tyson last year, this year’s freshman class is loaded. Rookie guard Win Miller joins the Bruin backcourt. Miller, a two-time all-state player averaged 22 points during his senior season.

Belmont routinely redshirts outstanding players (think Nick Muszynski and Grayson Murphy) and redshirt guard Keith Robbins and sparingly used Isaiah Walker are ready to contribute. Walker was one of Belmont’s top players during its recent trip to Spain.

Number One – Northern Iowa Panthers 

Northern Iowa’s backcourt has no MVC rival. The league’s second leading returning scorer, Bowen Born leads a deep and talented guard group. While listed as a junior, Born is entering his fourth season in Cedar Falls. The 2021 ‘Freshman of the Year’, 2022 ‘Sixth Man’ and 2023 second-team all-conference player has recorded 1,075 points, 201 assists and 155 three-pointers. UNI’s 5’10 lefty is the Panthers’ scoring and emotional leader.

Head coach Ben Jacobson has an embarrassment of riches in the Panther backcourt. Nate Heise returns from last year’s hand injury. He was part of that same 2021 ‘all-freshman’ team as Born. Heise is a proven scorer, defender and typical UNI player.

Last season’s emergence of freshman Michael Duax gives Jacobson a third veteran contributor. As a double-digit scorer, Duax, who redshirted the previous season is an explosive athlete and finished twelfth in steals. Trey Campbell started all 32 of UNI’s games during his freshman season and proved he could hit big shots. Jacobson has four legitimate starters to play in his backcourt.

When ranking the Missouri Valley units, there is no doubt UNI’s is the best.

Freshman R.J. Taylor joins that crowded backcourt after a highly decorated high school career. The two-time all-state player is the fifth ranked player coming out of the State of the Michigan.

The Best of the Rest

Southern Illinois’ Xavier Johnson is the one proven backcourt player toiling in Carbondale but freshman guards Sehridan Sharp and Kennard Davis bring potential and transfer Trey Miller brings a veteran presence.

Jacobi Wood and Brian Moore lead the Murray State backcourt while highly regarded Lawrent Rice brings explosive potential to the Racer backcourt.

Illinois State’s Darius Burford was very good last season and he should be on the Valley’s ‘break-out player’ watch list. Running mate Malachi Poindexter was solid last season and they’ll be joined by top-200 player Ty Pence.

Evansville rookie Chuck Bailey and Illinois Chicago’s three transfer guards could all be impact players.

Part Two of our ‘Ranking Missouri Valley Units’ will rate the teams’ frontcourts.

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Editor: Feature photo credit Maeve Coulter