Senior Moments We Shouldn’t Forget

(St. Louis, MO) – Unlike some major conferences, the Missouri Valley Conference is a league that leans on seniors and upper classmen. With a handful of games remaining, many special seniors are closing out their collegiate basketball careers.

These fourth and fifth year seniors have broken team records, led their squads to great heights, helped develop culture and have worn their uniforms with dignity and respect. We spent some time with Valley coaches talking about those graduating veterans.

Brenton Scott has a legitimate shot at going down as one of the greatest players in Indiana State history. The Fort Wayne native is closing in on the all-time record for three-point baskets. He’s in the top four on the career scoring charts and is climbing the ladder on several other statistical categories.

His heroics in major upsets of Butler and Indiana are legendary in Terre Haute. Head coach Greg Lansing says Scott’s competitive fire and relentless desire to win are the things that have marked his career.

 

 

Scott’s 1,730 points makes him the fourth most prolific scorer in Sycamore history. His 268, 3-pointers are second best all-time. He needs 16 more to top Michael Mensor’s total of 283. He is sixth on the career steals list with 169. With 20 more he would knock Menser off another perch.

Scott’s 25 point, and two game-winning free throw performance against 16^th ranked Butler last season, may be the quintessential moment in his college career.

Reed Timmer is the all-time leading scorer at Drake. Enough said.

But not really! He has been a model student with a grade point average above 3.5 and a relentless scorer and team leader on a team, that until this year hadn’t experienced any kind of success.

Head coach Niko Medved says Timmer is a passionate leader, a hard worker and the consummate student athlete. The member of Drake’s Doctorate of Pharmacy program is a two-time MVC Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

 

 

Timmer’s 1,882 points make him the all-time leader in that department and the New Berlin, Wisconsin native has an outside chance at becoming the first Bulldog to eclipse the 2,000 point mark. He has made more free-throws (519) than any other Bulldog. His 278 assists has him tied for tenth in that category.

None of the Valley’s other four-year players have those gaudy career numbers, but they have made their mark on several programs and veteran MVC watchers know these players well.

‘Koch’ is a name synonymous with Northern Iowa basketball. For the past 12 years there has been a Koch brother competing for the Panthers and harassing other Valley programs. Senior Bennett Koch is the third and final brother to play for Ben Jacobson. He is 32 points away from 1,000 for his career. When he tops that mark he will be the third brother to accomplish that feat.

Jacobson says Koch and his brothers have had a huge role in building the UNI program into a nationally known program.

 

 

Koch’s five career double-doubles (he narrowly missed his sixth Tuesday against Evansville) are one better than brother Adam’s four and tied with Jake’s five for family bragging rights.

Tyler Smithpeters has been around the Southern Illinois basketball program for a long time. The 24-year-old took a medical red-shirt last year. He is one of the top 20 players in SIU’s history in 3-point percentage and recently reached tenth place with 140 career triples.

Head coach Barry Hinson says Smithpeters who has become a better rebounder and improved his ability to drive to the basket has constantly worked on improving his game.

 

 

Like Smithpeters, Blake Simmons missed what would have been his senior year last season and is back performing at a high level for Evansville. Head coach Marty Simmons’ son is enjoying his best season, averaging 11.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Recently the Newburgh, Indiana native eclipsed the 1,000 point mark (1,063) and has amassed more than 300 rebounds and 300 assists.

The elder Simmons has a second, fifth year senior Boo Gibson that is battling knee problems. Simmons says he’s saddened by Gibson’s physical struggles, but has high praise for both Gibson and his son.

 

 

Simmons and Gibson were a part of the 2015 team that won the College Insider.com Tournament.

 

Valley newcomer Valparaiso has two, four-year players nearing the end of their college careers. Tevonn Walker and Max Joseph came from Montreal to Valpo four years ago. They will graduate together after winning near 100 games (95 right now) in northern Indiana. Walker is 16th in on the Crusader career scoring list (1,348). His 147 steals are 8th on the career list.

Joseph hasn’t played as prominent role, but has been a solid role player and is enjoying his best season, averaging 7.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

Head coach Matt Lottich says the two have been standard bearers for the Crusader program.

 

 

First place Loyola has two, four-year, graduating seniors in Ben Richardson and Donte Ingram. The two came from Chicago (Ingram) and Kansas City (Richardson) to the north-side of Chicago the year after the Ramblers joined the Valley, finishing in last place. As freshmen, they were bit players on Loyola’s College Basketball Insider Postseason Tournament wining squad. After two seasons with middle-of-the pack finishes, the Ramblers have taken off this year.

Ingram and Richardson have tied the 1986 seniors for the most wins in a four-year career (79). Ingram is 31st in Loyola history in scoring (1,127 points) and 20th in rebounding (619). Richardson has been a consistent role-player for head coach Porter Moser. Richardson was named to the Valley’s Scholar Athlete Team.

Moser remembers when Richardson and Ingram first arrived on the Loyola campus.

 

 

As we wax nostalgic about these players, remember there are numerous seniors that will be celebrated at  upcoming ‘senior nights’ and they will all assemble in St. Louis for their last opportunity to hoist the Arch Madness trophy.

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