The ‘Other’ Stars of the MVC

(St. Louis, MO) – Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet aren’t the only outstanding underclassmen in the Missouri Valley Conference. At least four sophomore and juniors are every bit as good as those two Wichita State all-americans.

That is meant as no slight to the Shocker dynamic duo, but if Marcus Marshall or D.J. Balentine or Milton Doyle or Anthony Beane Junior were wearing the black and gold, they would be garnering national attention too.

Marshall (Missouri State) was the MVC’s Freshman of the Year in 2013 and missed most of last year with an injury. Doyle (Loyola-Chicago) won that award last season. Balentine (Evansville) was seventh in the national scoring race last year and Beane (Southern Illinois) had a flurry of 20 point games near the end of last season and has picked up that pace in 2014-15.

Scoring isn’t everything, but Baker is sandwiched in at 4^th in the MVC scoring race in the early going, outscoring only Balentine of those other four players. Marshall and Beane have each had two games of 27 or more points.

Doyle wasn’t even supposed to start the season due to a shoulder (his shooting shoulder!) is averaging 18.5 points and Balentine has started slowly ONLY averaging 17.8 through the first five games.

Missouri State Head Coach Paul Lusk told me Marshall spent his injury time bulking up other parts of his body and he is chiseled. He can drive the lane and finis strong. When I saw him drop 38 on Eastern Illinois, he was MJ-esque while making 6 of seven from long distance and driving the lane with abandon.

Beane had some foul trouble when I saw him play in St. Louis, but bounced back the next game with 32 points of his own.

Doyle may be the best player in the MVC. The 6’4 sophomore originally signed with Kansas. Last year he led the Ramblers in scoring, assists, blocks and steals. This season he’s averaging 18.5 ppg and 4.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He’s from Chicago and we know who he grew up watching.

Balentine’s team is a bit stronger than last season (they’re off to a 4-1 start) and he’s not called upon to score quite as much and he has struggled with his shot early on. But the 6’2 junior from Kokomo is also grabbing four caroms and handing out about four dimes a night.

Believe me I love the play of Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet and they deserve all the praise they are receiving. They may both turn pro next season, but if they don’t the Valley will have one of the most fierce Player of the Year battles ever seen, AND none of those money conferences will want to play an MVC team. This league is filling up the talent pool!

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