Reinforcements On The Way

NCAA Bolsters Valley Rosters

(St. Louis, MO) – There are reinforcements on the way. Missouri Valley Conference teams are adding fire-power. Reinforcements are on the way at Northern Iowa, Loyola  and Missouri State. Wednesday the NCAA Division 1 Council decided all transfers would become immediately eligible. Since they will receive an extra year of eligibility due to covid-related legislation, this turns into free playing time.

For some teams this is a much needed injection of talent, for others it might muddy the waters.

UNI and Goanar Mar

Northern Iowa has lost two of its ‘rotation players’ including defending Larry Bird Award winner A.J. Green and have two other players hobbled with injuries. News that Goanar Mar would now be eligible has brought some needed help and encouragement. UNI (1-4) has started slowly, been battered with injuries and has pushed pause on the program due to covid-related issues.

Wednesday’s news that Mar, who averaged over 10 points per game as a freshmen at George Mason, would be available for the league opener (December 27) was like free fries with your burger. Panther fans needed some good news and coach Ben Jacobson needed another talented player to overcome other personnel losses.

Losing Green is devastating. The departure of Antwan Kimmons and nagging injuries to Austin Phyfe and Evan Gauger were limiting UNI’s practice efficiency and rotation depth. Kimmons went home to help his family with covid related issues.

The 6’7 Mar is a graduate transfer and injuries hindered his career at George Mason. His sophomore and junior seasons were not as productive as his rookie campaign. The athletic Mar can defend multiple positions and can finish around the rim.

Reinforcements are on the way.

Missouri State Gets Bigger and Deeper

Dawson Carper (Hawaii) becomes the third Missouri State 6’10 or taller player and the fourth true ‘post’ player. While he has been battling an early season injury, once healthy, he will make the Bears, by far the biggest team in the Valley. Juco transfer Nic Tata is a 6’10 center, Carper a seven-footer and senior Darian Scott is 6’11.

MSU’s dominant big man Gaige Prim is only 6’8 but casts a long shadow in the post. The preseason, all-Valley pick opened the season with 46 points during the team’s first two games.  Dana Ford’s talented team includes four other newcomers that are 6’6 or taller.

Loyola’s Embarrassment of Depth

Loyola Chicago’s Porter Moser already has a depth problem. He has too much. Keith Clemons, a double-digit scorer last season, is playing just 17 minutes per game. Last year’s ‘Sixth Man Marquise Kennedy is playing just 16 minutes per contest. Paxon Wojcik can’t get any playing time and the Rambler roster now includes 16 players.

Now LUC is adding Indiana transfer Damezi Anderson. The 6’7 junior didn’t apply for a waiver knowing for him, like Jesus ‘there was no room at the inn’. Now he is eligible. The former top 100 player and four-star recruit didn’t get much time at Indiana. He appeared in 39 games over two seasons.

Anderson scored 2,210 prep points and has the potential to be a difference maker. They gave him Milton Doyle’s old number 35 so, I’m just sayin…

Our look at the originally eligible transfers can be found here.

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