MVC Players Pursuing the NBA (updated)

Trying to Join Morant, Sheppard, Green and Others

(St. Louis, MO) – Belmont’s Ben Sheppard just finished playing in the NBA Finals and now other Missouri Valley Conference players are trying to join him in ‘the Association’. Murray State’s Ja Morant and Cameron Payne and Northern Iowa’s A.J. Green are also playing in the world’s best basketball league. Several recent Valley graduates are pursuing the NBA.

Payne finished the season with the New York Knicks and Green with the Milwaukee Bucks. All three players reached the playoffs and played serious minutes for their respective teams. Former Bradley Brave Malevy Leons spent six games with the NBA champion Oklahoma Thunder, but wasn’t with the team during their triumphant playoff run.

This list could grow, but UNI’s Tytan Anderson, Belmont’s Jonathan Pierre and Drake’s Mitch Mascari all have summer opportunities to impress NBA coaches and scouts.

Anderson is the most decorated of the three. The MVC all-conference performer has signed a summer contract with the New Orleans Pelicans. Pierre worked out for eleven NBA teams and has signed a summer league deal with the Washington Capitals. Anderson and Pierre share some similar scoring and rebounding numbers.

While Anderson outscored Pierre (15.5 ppg to 13.8) and was slightly better on the boards (6.5 rpg to 6.3), Pierre handed out more assists and was more dangerous from deep.

Mascari made his contributions from very deep. Pierre connect 73 times from long distance and Mascari made 87. The Bulldog guard buried .403 of his long range attempts. He is pursuing the NBA by inking a summer deal with the Phoenix Suns.

How Are They Faring? 

Morant’s meteoric career has been reduced by injuries and a suspension, but when healthy the Racer legend is one of the league’s top players. While never playing more than 61 games in any of his six Memphis Grizzly seasons, he averages over 22 points, seven assists and four rebounds per game. His acrobatic dunks are legendary.

Sheppard has averaged 4.9 points and 2.2 rebounds during his 120 NBA regular season games (two seasons). Green just finished his third season with Milwaukee and saw his playing time increase and his scoring average raise. He appeared in 73 games and average over seven points per game and connected on 42 percent of his long distance attempts.

Payne has enjoyed a ten-year NBA career amassing over 3,700 points! He’s played for seven different teams and has a career scoring average of over seven points-per-game.

Several other players with Valley ties are Wichita State stars Fred VanVleet (Houston Rockets) and Landry Shamet (New York). During VanVleet’s nine year career he has won an NBA title and earned one all-star birth. Shamet has played seven NBA seasons. Creighton’s Doug McDermott has enjoyed an eleven year stay in the league.

Green, McDermott and VanVleet were Larry Bird Award winners.

Other players that left the Valley, played else-where and have experienced the NBA include Indiana State’s Jake LaRavia, Wichita State’s Austin Reeves, Illinois State’s Antonio Reeves, Evansville’s Dru Smith, Missouri State’s Jonathan Mogbo and Indiana State’s Tyreke Key (1,921 career points).

New: Former Belmont star and Florida grad Will Richard (Golden State) and former Indiana State guard Tyreke Key (Toronto) are working this summer. Latest reminder! Bradley’s Malevy Leons, who played six Oklahoma Thunder games last season, is playing for their summer team

We will post updated signings as they occur.

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