Riley Minix From NAIA to OVC Player of the Year

Morehead State Star

(St. Louis, MO) – Riley Minix is the odds on favorite to be the Ohio Valley Conference ‘Player of the Year’. The NAIA transfer is the OVC’s most complete player on the league’s best team. Morehead State (18-5, 9-1) is looking to claim its second straight conference championship and Minix should be the team’s second straight Newcomer of the Year and Player of the Year.

After an NAIA all-American career at Southeastern University, the 6’7 wing followed last year’s ‘Newcomer’ Alex Gross to Preston Spradlin’s Eagles. During his four NAIA seasons, Southeastern was tremendously successful and he consistently averaged over twenty points and ten rebounds per game.

Now, he’s producing similar numbers in the OVC. The soon-to-be-named player of the year loved his time at Southeastern and believes it was the perfect place for him to begin his collegiate career.

 

 

Minix graduated from Southeastern and knew he had an opportunity to be a graduate-transfer and Gross played a role in his signing with Morehead State. Gross made the NAIA to OVC move wildly successfully last year and recommended his former opponent to Morehead coach Preston Spradlin.

 

 

Minix is enjoying his season with the Eagles. He says head coach Preston Spradlin has created a culture of growth and unity. Communication and accountability are at high levels in the Eagle program. This will be the Eagles fourth-straight twenty-win season and during those previous three seasons MSU has claimed one OVC Tournament championship and one regular season title.

Minix says Spradlin is driven to improve.

 

 

Player of the Year on His Teammates

While Minix is the headliner, he is hardly a one-man-show. Jordan Lathon, Kalil Thomas and Drew Thelwell are a great ‘supporting cast’. Lathon is the team’s second leading scorer (15.9 points per game) and rebounder (6.6 rebounds). Thelwell is the team’s quarterback, leading them in assists and helping to be Spradlin’s on-court voice.

Minix says those two players are ‘characters’ with competitive natures. He says Thelwell’s Morehead State experience and relationship to Spradlin is a key to the Eagles’ success.

 

 

Thomas is Minix’s roommate and an outstanding three-point shooter (.392). With the season-ending injury to preseason OVC player of the year Mark Freeman, Thomas’ scoring role has increased. His 62 triples are just two shy of his last season’s total. One of the reason’s for Thomas’ success has been the encouragement of Freeman. In spite of his injury, Minix says Freeman has been an invaluable teammate.

 

 

What Lies Ahead

Morehead State’s only conference loss came at the the hands of the Cougars of Southern Illinois Edwardsville. The two teams meet Thursday night on the OVC’s featured ‘game of the week’. The ESPNU broadcast is set for 8 pm.

Minix says the Cougars prepared and executed a great game plan during the first meeting and he and his teammates will be ready to avenge that earlier loss.

 

 

Four of the Eagles’ five losses came at Alabama, at Purdue, at Penn State and at Indiana. Their loss to the Hoosiers was by one point. Minix believes playing those types of teams, in those environments has prepared the Eagles for their hoped for March Madness participation.

 

 

Riley Minix should be the OVC’s player of the year and his team owns a one game edge on Western Illinois for the regular season championship. The OVC’s top two teams earn a double-bye into the conference tournament’s semifinal round. MSU travels to Western Illinois on February 22.

Minix and the Eagles have a great shot at heading back to the ‘Big Dance’.

You can listen to our entire interview with Riley Minix at Valley Hoops Insider Podcasts.

Do Good

 

Editor: Cover photo courtesy of msueagles.com.