Upsets = New Names on the Billboards

(St. Louis, MO) – Upset was the word of the week in our three Valleys and when upsets occur, the usual award winners take a back seat to those doing the upsetting. Our weekly awards are going to some new names this week.

Missouri Valley Conference

Illinois State took care of business against Bradley, but then shocked the Wichita State fans and Valley watchers with a five point win over the league’s best team. Leading the Redbirds in scoring this week and winning the ‘Player of the Week’ award was 6’8 forward Deontae Hawkins. ‘Teddy’ scored 14 points in each game and against the Shockers he grabbed 10 rebounds. The Redbirds own a two game wining streak over Gregg Marshall’s team after defeating them in last season’s conference tournament.

Bradley picked up just their second league win and fourth overall when they upset Indiana State Saturday. Freshman Luuk van Bree averaged 16.5 points in the Braves’ two games last week, including 15 against the Sycamores. The native of the Netherlands is the second internationally raised Bradley freshman to win the ‘Newcomer of the Week’ award. Dwayne-Lautier-Ogunleye (England) was the other.

Ohio Valley Conference

There was an Eastern Kentucky sweep of all the OVC awards this week. They defeated two of the top three East Division teams (Tennessee State and Belmont) and climbed out of last place in the division.

Of course we know Nick Mayo won the ‘Freshman of the Week’ award. It was his fifth in-a-row and ninth overall. He averaged 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds.

Senior Jarelle Reischel averaged 15.5 points and 3.5 steals for the Colonels who ended Belmont’s long conference home winning streak. Reischel earned his second ‘Newcomer of the Week’ award. The Rhode Island transfer is leading the OVC in scoring.

‘Player of the Week’ JaVontae Hawkins jumped off the charts last week. The 6’5 red-shirt junior scored a career high 36 points in the Tennessee State win and dropped 24 on the Bruins. During Hawkins’ scoring rampage against Tennessee State, the South Florida transfer made six of eight shots from long distance. Hawkins is now fourth in ‘The O’ in scoring.

Great Lakes Valley Conference

They weren’t upsets, but when Indianapolis defeated the top two teams of the GLVC’s West Division, senior guard Jordan Loyd averaged 24.5 points and was named the ‘Player of the Week.’ It’s the second weekly award for Loyd this season who also celebrated reaching the 1,000 point mark and becoming the 39^th Greyhound in history to do so.

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