What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Missouri Valley 11/14/2023

Week One Award Winners--Valley Hoops Insider

First Week Honors

(St. Louis, MO) – Newcomers are splashed all over the Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley Conferences’ week one award winners. One old standby earned first week honors, but these transitioning leagues demonstrated that fact during the season’s opening week.

While Valley teams opened the season winning 14 of twenty-one games, OVC squads, playing more difficult schedules won eight of twenty-six. MVC teams won both matchups between our two ‘Valley Leagues’.

Players of the Week

Preseason favorite Drake played just one game and during the Bulldogs’ win over Lipscomb Tucker DeVries exploded for 36 points, including 17-straight points during a critical second half span. DeVries also grabbed six rebounds and handed out five assists. DeVries’ scoring total was the highest for a Valley opener in nine years. Drake is College Insider’s preseason top ranked mid major team and DeVries is the Valley’s week one ‘Player of the Week’.
Week One Newcomers

We applaud the Valley for separating the weekly freshman and ‘newcomer’ awards. This week’s MVC ‘Newcomer of the Week’ is familiar to OVC fans. Eastern Illinois transfer Nick Ellington earned the first weekly award. Ellington is the first Murray State player to record season opening back-to-back double-doubles in twenty-three years.

Week One Rookies

MVC ‘Freshman of the Week’ is Evansville rookie Chuck Bailey III. While the Purple Aces were sweeping their first two games, the 6’5 wing averaged 10.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and two assists. Bailey came to UE after being rated as Michigan’s sixth best high school player.

First Week Women’s Award Winners--Valley Hoops Insider

Big Wins and Big Performances

(St. Louis, MO) – Drake is 3-0 with a win over a ‘power 6’ team, Belmont earned a ‘money conference’ victory and two OVC teams defeated two MVC teams. Our first week women’s award winners for the Ohio Valley and Missouri Valley Conferences reflect some of those big wins.

Player of the Week Award Winners

During Drake’s first three games, Grace Berg is averaging 19 points and 5.7 points. The Valley’s ‘Player of the Week’ tallied 22 points in the Bulldogs’ Sunday win over Iowa State. The grad-student was one of three Bulldogs to reach the 20-point plateau in the team’s win over its Big Ten rival.
Newcomer Award Winners

Bradley’s Kaylen Nelson exploded on to the scene with a 31-point performance during the Braves’ opening night loss at Kansas City. The Old Dominion transfer scored 13 points in the Braves’ home opener and in addition to leading the team in minutes played, she is the Valley’s ‘Newcomer of the Week’.

Freshman Award Winners

Belmont opened the season with two games against Southeastern Conference foes. The Bruins narrowly lost at Missouri before winning their home opener against Georgia. MVC ‘Freshman of the Week’ Jailyn Banks pumped in 23 points in Columbia, Missouri and then scored nine against the Bulldogs. Banks added five assists and five rebounds during the victory.