Outstanding Individual Efforts in MVC & OVC
(St. Louis, MO) – Thirty points in one game, were easy to come by for some Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley Conference players. During the season’s first week several players topped the 25-point margin and two eclipsed 30. The stars of the week started their seasons in outstanding fashion.
While winning percentages weren’t what either league was looking for, some individual players were surely turning heads.
Reeves Stars in the MVC
Antonio Reeves – goredbirds.com – Dennis Banks
The Missouri Valley stars of the week were scoring machines. Illinois State’s Antonio Reeves broke from the starting gate with a 32-point performance in the Redbirds’ opening win over UNC Wilmington and followed that performance with 29 points in an overtime loss to Eastern Michigan. This week’s ‘Player of the Week’ buried nine three-pointers and converted 14 of 16 free-throws.
Michigan State transfer Thomas Kithier opened the season with 16 points and topped that with a 28-point, 11-rebound, double-double. The Valparaiso center is this week’s ‘Newcomer of the Week‘. Kithier is the fourth Valpo player to ever record a 25-point, ten rebound double-double.
Williams Shines in the OVC
K.J. Williams’ opening night performance was more exclamation point than a statement. The 6’10 junior scored 32 points and grabbed five rebounds during Murray State’s 109-77 win against the Cumberland Phoenix. Williams, who scored 10 points during the Racers’ win over Bellarmine is the OVC’s ‘Player of the Week‘.
Teammate Tevin Brown scored 49 points over the two-game span.
Two freshmen share the league’s ‘Freshman of the Week‘ award. Southern Illinois Edwardsville’s Ray’Sean Taylor and Austin Peay’s Elijah Hutchins-Everett are being honored. Taylor’s Cougars were winless in their first two games, but the Collinsville, Illinois native opened the season with 16 points (against Marquette) and 24 on the road at Chicago State.
Hutchins-Everett sparked the Govs to a split of their first two games with scoring performances of 17 and 19 points.
UT Martin’s roster is virtually brand new and transfer K.K. Curry is this week’s ‘Newcomer of the Week‘. The South Alabama transfer opened the season with a 15-point, 11-rebound, double-double and then scored 22 points during the Skyhawks’ second game.
The opening night double-double was the first for a Tennessee Martin player since 2002.
Editor: Feature photo courtesy of goracers.com.
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As we near the closing of the portal window, we've reached 1900. Some of them never to play college basketball again, earn a college degree and some to play at a much lower level than they did last season.
I guess we'll be seeing this in a @RacersHoops uniform this year. Glad AJ is staying in the @ValleyHoops.
