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NCAA Basketball: In-depth look at Eastern Illinois senior guard Josiah Wallace

By Bryan Mauro

BLOOMINGTON, IN - NOVEMBER 13: Head coach Jay Spoonhour of the Eastern Illinois Panthers is seen during the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Assembly Hall on November 13, 2015 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN - NOVEMBER 13: Head coach Jay Spoonhour of the Eastern Illinois Panthers is seen during the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Assembly Hall on November 13, 2015 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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AUSTIN, TX – NOVEMBER 6: Mack Smith #03 of the Eastern Illinois Panthers (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX – NOVEMBER 6: Mack Smith #03 of the Eastern Illinois Panthers (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /

Expectations for Josiah Wallace in 2020-21

Eastern Illinois is not one of the favorites to win the league, and that is due in part to the overall strength of the teams at the top of the league. Austin Peay, Murray State, and Belmont are the three top teams in this league but as mentioned earlier, the Panthers have all of the makings of a sleeper and a spoiler within the conference.

Wallace is a lock for his third consecutive all-conference honor. He would be the first player since Henry Domercant, who was one of the best mid-major and college basketball players ever, to accomplish the feat at Eastern Illinois.

If the senior guard continues his upward trend, he is likely to become the fifth player in school history to play in the NBA. Wallace has the skills to play in the NBA and may become a late-round draft pick if he plays really well against the cream of the crop in this league.

While Wallace likely won’t win the player of the year in the league, as that is likely going to be Terry Taylor from Austin Peay, he can still better his position to be a pro and help his team win a lot of games with continued strong play. Wallace should become a player who gets the national recognition he so much deserves

The Panthers are not going to be Wallace and Wallace alone, they are going to have some help this year that is going to help them win games. The team is extremely experienced with a lot of guys who have played a lot of games in the OVC. The backcourt is shored up by fellow senior Mack Smith, who is currently the NCAA leader in consecutive games with a made three-point basket with 81 in a row.

Next. Preseason OVC power rankings for 2020-21. dark

The Panthers were also able to add a grad transfer from Siena in Sammy Friday IV. Those players along with a good bench led by Kashawn Charles put Eastern Illinois in a great position to play sleeper and for Wallace to cement his legacy as a Panther.