MVC Talent Explosion

High Quality Players on the Way

(St. Louis, MO) – There is a talent explosion going on in the Missouri Valley Conference. The number of high caliber high school players and accomplished Division 1 players is at an all-time high. Throw in a few all-Americans from lower classifications and talented junior college stars and MVC fortunes seem bright.

Don’t forget the all-conference type returners sprinkled throughout the league.

The Valley finished last season as the nation’s tenth best conference. Surpassing that ranking should be relatively easy for the eleven-team league.

Outstanding Returners

Led by Illinois State’s two-all-conference returners, the number of all-league level players returning this coming season is better and larger than any during the ‘portal pandemic’ era. Center Chase Walker and guard Johnny Kinziger are the headliners, but Northern Iowa’s second-teamer Trey Campbell and the nation’s best three-point shooter Tyler Lundblade, lead a group of other rising MVC stars.

Evansville’s Connor Turnbull is an outstanding rim protector and has growing offensive game. Indiana State’s Camp Wagner averaged double figures and UIC’s Ahmad Henderson averaged eleven points-per-game while leading the Valley in free throw shooting.

Murray State and Southern Illinois recruited players from other MVC rosters that are Valley-tested and proven commodities. Murray’s Javon Jackson was a standout with UIC and SIU’s Isaiah Stafford was electric at Valparaiso,

Joining Campbell at UNI are explosive Ben Schwieger and Leon Bond III. Each player could be an all-Valley contender.

Freshman Talent Explosion

I’ve never seen an MVC freshman class that has looked this good. We’ve seen amazing freshmen come into the league. Creighton’s Doug McDermott and Kyle Korver were incredible. Northern Iowa landed A.J. Green and more recently Drake’s Tucker DeVries arrived with huge expectations.

But this collective class is nothing short of impressive.

The top players in the States of Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota are headed to the MVC. Illinois is sending six of its top eleven players to the Valley. The fourth best players from Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota are all on their way to Valley programs.

Bradley’s trio of Illinois stars Matthew Zobrist & Dietrich Richardson and Texas star Montana Wheeler have ‘off the charts’ potential. Should they choose to stay at Bradley, they could lift Brian Wardle’s program to legendary status.

The 6’5 Richardson is a dynamically athletic player and a top-200 player nationally.

Zobrist (# 3), Richardson (# 10) and Illinois State’s Tyreke Coleman (# 5) and Nick Allen (# 6), Valparaiso’s J.T. Pettigrew (# 9) and Kobe Walker (# 17), Murray State’s Tristian Ford (# 11) and SIU’s Daniel Pauliukonis (# 12) represent a mother load of Illinois prospects coming to the Valley.

Nebraska’s top player (Bryson Bahl) and South Dakota’s top prospect (Griffen Goodbary) are each heading to Drake. Illinois State landed North Dakota’s number one player, Mason Klabo. (fixed a typo!)

VerbalCommits.com ranks UIC, Drake, Northern Iowa and Bradley as its top four MVC freshman classes.

Prizes from the Portal

While last season’s portal class may have had more players with awards from their previous stops, this class is much deeper and coaches made more use of foreign recruiting.

Thirteen Division 1 transfers averaged nine or more points per game and several earned league-wide honors. Hardware earners include Bradley’s Mayar Wol (Sixth Man in the ASUN), Illinois Chicago’s Abdul Momoh (Defensive Player of the Year in the NEC), Illinois State’s Landon Moore (NEC Freshman Team in 2023) and SWAC Player of the Year Sterling Young.

Double-digit-scoring newcomers abound. Belmont’s Nic McClain (10.6 ppg), Bradley’s Alex Huibregste (13.5), Evansville’s Keishon Porter (10.8), UIC’s Ante Beljan (10.1) and Chris Walker (11.6), Indiana State’s Sterling Young (17.0), Murray State’s Javon Jackson (11.6) and SIU’s Isaiah Stafford (16.9 in 2024) are proven Division 1 scorers.

And the Valley got bigger. While Bradley signed two seven-foot foreigners, portal signees have some real size. At least 13 D1 transfers stand 6’8 or taller.

Obviously the huge makeovers at Drake, Murray State and Valparaiso have ‘flooded the market’ a little, but there are 33 three-star and higher D1 players creating a Valley talent explosion. Evan Miya ranks Murray State’s class as the Valley’s best and 108th nationally. The Racers signed nine D1 transfers including seven three-star earning players.

Illinois Chicago has signed seven players and five three-star newcomers. UIC’s class is ranked 139th nationally. Eight of eleven MVC programs rank in the top half of all NCAA programs. Drake has five, three-star newbys too. Evan Miya says South Dakota State transfer Owen Larson is Drake’s top signee and Central Arkansas tranfer Layne Taylor is Murray State’s.

Conclusion

We haven’t touched on the unique group of foreign players or a significant group of players ‘transferring up’. Each of those groups will play major roles this year.

While UNI has eleven returners and Illinois State brings back that dynamic nucleus, the meshing of new and old players in all eleven Valley teams will be the huge catalyst to how these teams jell and work as cohesive units. This talent explosion could lead to a very successful Missouri Valley Conference season.

Do Good