Valley Hoops Insider – All Valley Team

(St. Louis, MO) – With the regular season behind us and Arch Madness before us, it is time for the Valley Hoops Insider ‘All Valley Team’. The Missouri Valley Conference doesn’t give me a vote, but here is how this reporter sees the stars of the MVC!

Let’s get a couple of things out of the way. There is no question that Missouri State’s Alize Johnson is the ‘Newcomer of the Year’ or that Wichita State’s Landry Shamet is the ‘Freshman of the Year’. That was easy and obvious.

Second Team All Valley

The conference was so balanced and an unusual number of players played significant roles on their teams, that who is and isn’t on the first team will surprise many. Players are listed alphabetically.

Jaylon Brown – Evansville Purple Aces

It seems that Evansville players lead the league in scoring every year, and this was Brown’s turn. The 6’ senior was the only Valley player to average 20 or more points per game (20.6), taking over where three-time scoring champion D.J. Balentine left off. The Fishers, Indiana native led the Valley with 197 made free-throws and he tied teammate Ryan Taylor for the highest FT% (.860). Ironically, it was Brown’s free throws that led to their winning margin on Saturday.

Deontae Hawkins – Illinois State Redbirds

The leading scorer and rebounder on the league’s co-champions would expect to be a first-teamer, but not this year. Hawkins, was ninth in league scoring (14.1 ppg) and fourth in rebounding (6.8) and was an outstanding .420% from long distance. The 6’8 senior was Dan Muller’s most consistent offensive threat.

Markis McDuffie – Wichita State Shockers

The leading scorer and rebounder on the league’s co-champions would expect to be a first-teamer, but not this year. Didn’t I just type that? Like Hawkins, McDuffie faded a bit offensively at the end of the season, but the 6’8 sophomore put together a second outstanding season for Gregg Marshall. Limited statistically by Marshall’s heavy substitution regiment, McDuffie led the Shockers in scoring (11.7 ppg) and rebounding (5.7). McDuffie is an X-factor in any game.

Sean O’Brien – Southern Illinois Salukis

Some might quibble over this pick. I almost made him a first-teamer. SIU’s MVP didn’t lead the Salukis in scoring. He’s not a good three-point shooter, nor is he solid from the charity stripe, but the 6’6 senior finished second in the Valley in rebounding (8.5), but grabbed over nine caroms per game in league play. While O’Brien averaged 11 points per game during the non-conference schedule, the Mundelein, Illinois native was at his best in league play, averaging 13.5 points per game. In the Salukis’ season ending victory, O’Brien secured his ninth doube-double of the season and 18^th of his career.

Brenton Scott – Indiana State Sycamores

On a team that had virtually no scoring ability other than Brenton Scott, the 6’1 junior managed the league’s second highest scoring average (15.9) and tied Paris Lee for the most three-point baskets with 69. He was fourth to Lee, Morgan and Milton Doyle in steals. His heroics in an upset win over Butler, were enough to push Scott from honorable mention to second team.

First Team All Valley

Milton Doyle – Loyola Ramblers

Doyle became the long awaited complete package. Chicago’s native son was third in scoring (15.5) and led the Ramblers in steals, assists and free throw percentage. The 6’4 senior was the Valley’s third most prolific ‘dime deliverer’ and steals artist. He was a top 20 rebounder and was the heart and soul of Loyola’s 18-win team.

Alize Johnson – Missouri State Bears

The Valley’s ‘Newcomer of the Year’ had a spectacular season. He became the first MVC first-year player to lead the league in rebounding AND average at least 10 per game in over 20 years. Twice he had a double-20 (20 points and 20 rebounds) and the 6’9 junior collected 16 double-doubles and tied for sixth in the Valley scoring race with a 14.5 average.

Paris Lee – Illinois State Redbirds

What didn’t Lee do? His first name is Paris, we might as well call him Napoleon. The Redbird floor general led the Valley in assists (5.1 per game), steals (2.0 per contest) and tied Scott for the lead in long distance bombs (69). His 13 points per game average was good for twelfth and his leadership during tight games and when MiKyle McIntosh was out with a knee injury was exemplary.

Jeremy ‘Captain’ Morgan – Northern Iowa Panthers

The beat-writers might give him the Larry Bird Trophy, but Captain Morgan almost slipped to second team status for me, because everything dropped off once league play started. Morgan did lead the Panthers in scoring, rebounding, assists, blocks, steals and three-point baskets. His 14.7 points per game (just 13.5 in MVC action) are fifth best in the league and ‘the Captain’ was second to Paris Lee in steals. Morgan seemed to fade down the stretch (perhaps playing too many minutes wore him down). He made just eight of 36 shots (.222) in the Panthers’ final three games (all losses).

 

Landry Shamet – Wichita State Shockers

This red-shirt freshman was nothing short of incredible. His scoring numbers don’t blow you away, until you look a little deeper. During the non-conference portion of the season, Shamet averaged 9.2 points and 2.5 assists per game. During league play, he averaged 12.9 points and 3.9 helpers. In league games only, the Park Hills graduate shot 56% from the field and a league leading .457 from long distance. His 3.7 assist-to-turnover ratio was the second best of any freshman in the nation.

Others could have been considered, like pre-season all-conference forward MiKyle McIntosh of Illinois State, Loyola’s Aundre Jackson (who should be the 6th man of the year recipient), Bradley freshman Darrell Brown, Drake’s Reed Timmer, Dequon Miller of Missouri State, Conner Frankamp of Wichita State and Evansville’s Ryan Taylor.

Let’s see how close I come to what the real Valley scribes come up with!

Do Good