VanVleet Wins Second Bird Trophy

(St. Louis, MO) – Sometimes ‘you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.’ Wichita State knew Fred VanVleet was a great player, but when he was out of their line up with various injuries, they were a very pedestrian team. With the senior point guard healthy and playing like Valley fans expect, they were practically unstoppable.

VanVleet became a two-time recipient of the ‘Larry Bird – MVC Player of the Year’ award Tuesday. The senior from Rockford, Illinois was named to the Valley’s all-conference team for the third straight year. He first won the Bird Trophy two years ago. He is the first two-time winner to not take home the league’s highest honor in consecutive seasons.

VanVleet is one of only three players in Valley history to amass over 600 assists (617) and 200 steals. With VanVleet injured, the Shockers limped to a 2 and 4 start. With the point guard back in the lineup, WSU ripped off an impressive 21-3 finish.

The three-year starter handed out 152 assists this year and committed only 43 turnovers. He averaged 12.3 points per game.

Do Good