Who Are the Future MVC Stars?

(St. Louis, MO) – There is still much to play for in the Missouri Valley Conference race, but I’ve begin to wonder who are tomorrow’s Fred VanVleet and Seth Tuttle? In other words, who are stars of 2016-17?

There are some outstanding sophomores toiling in the Valley this year, but for our purposes, I am focusing on the freshman class of 2K14-15.

First those sophomores. Certainly, Illinois State center Reggie Lynch is a leader in that class. He is re-writing the Redbird blocked shots records on a nightly basis, and his offensive game is growing into his 6’10” body. His prime pivot rival should be Drake’s Jacob Enevold Jenson. The 7-footer from Denmark is emerging as threat on both ends of the floor.

A trio of sophomores, Mislav Brzoja, Blake Simmons and David Howard look to have a stellar future in Evansville. As will Lynch’s point guard in Normal, Paris Lee.

Perhaps the best player in the sophomore class and arguably the best player in the Valley, when healthy, is Loyola’s guard Milton Doyle. Here’s hoping he gets and stays healthy.

But what about the rookies? Are there genuine stars in the freshman class?

Clearly most of the hype around this class starts in Normal, Illinois where Deontae Hawkins and MiKyle McIntosh are the headliners. Both were highly sought after and Dan Muller won the recruiting wars for these two unique talents.

The 6’8” Hawkins was originally signed by Wichita State, but ended up at ISU. While battling injuries, ‘Teddy’ has had a growing freshman season averaging almost seven points and over five rebounds per game. The Canadian McIntosh has had more consistent playing time, but a little less consistency in his play. McIntosh is 6’7”, so this pair provides both athleticism and size for the next three years.

 

 

Indiana State’s Brenton Scott and Drake’s Reed Timmer have had some head turning performances, are both scoring in double digits, and are proving they can be the next leaders in their individual programs. Indiana State Head Coach Greg Lansing says Scott is ahead of schedule and shows some great tenacity.

 

 

Drake’s turn around will lean heavily on Timmer, who Head Coach Ray Giacoletti told me, has played well and the coaching staff has had to make some adjustments to help the freshman continue to grow.

 

 

He is often compared with Northern Iowa’s Wyatt Lohaus. That freshman has played fewer minutes than some of his couterparts because of the great depth on the Panther roster. But Lohaus has quietly impressed Valley coaches and media with his offensive ability (3.9 ppg) and savvy play.

One wild card in this class is Bradley’s Josh Cunningham. Perhaps the highest rated talent to enter the MVC in many years and clearly one of the top talents to join the Braves in many years. Cunningham has already proven to be a significant rebounder (7.4) and is sharpening his offensive game.

What about Wichita State? The league’s best program has several freshmen on this year’s roster, but Head Coach Gregg Marshall’s top four players are so irreplaceable that it is difficult to get a read on the likes of Shaquille Morris, Rashard Kelly, Ri’an Holland and their three freshmen teammates.

The St. Louis area has sent highly rated players to the Valley this year. SIU’s Deon Lavender (Alton Marquette), Shawn Roundtree (Edwardsville ) and Robin Thompson (MICDS) are both cutting their teeth at Missouri State. Lavender’s teammate Armon Tilmon (Edwardsville) has red-shirted this year and Head Coach Barry Hinson has bragged to me about Tilmon on more than one occasion.

The young talent in the Valley certainly leans toward Illinois State, but there are some truly upper echelon underclassmen performing now, and looking toward the future.

Do Good