Busting Brackets
Fansided

Missouri Valley Basketball: 4 key questions in final weeks of regular season

By Harry Schroeder

Dec 20, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Darian DeVries watches action against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Darian DeVries watches action against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
Missouri Valley Basketball Drake Bulldogs guard Tucker Devries Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Missouri Valley Basketball Drake Bulldogs guard Tucker Devries Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Who is the Missouri Valley Basketball Player of the Year?

There are six candidates in the running for the player of the year award. most outstanding player. Four of them toil for teams vying for the conference’s top spot. This league typically rewards the best player from the best team with the Larry Bird Trophy.

Drake’s Tucker DeVries was the league’s preseason player of the year and he has not disappointed. He is scoring (19.5 ppg), rebounding (6.0), and leading the league’s hottest team. His recent back-to-back 32-point games put him front and center in this discussion.

Worthy of consideration but playing on teams that are ending their candidacy are Valparaiso’s Ben Krikke and Northern Iowa’s Bowen Born. The third-year player Bowen and senior Krikke have been outstanding all season and have been near the top of the Valley’s scoring leaderboard all season. Born has produced eleven, twenty-point games of his own, and these two have been consistently reliable for their teams.

Southern Illinois’ Marcus Domask and Bradley’s Rienk Mast are ‘dark horses’ in this race. They both reside just below the other contenders in scoring but do so many other things for their contending teams. The 6’6 Domask scores (16.7) rebounds (5.8), assists (3.7), makes free throws (.858), and is the Salukis’ unquestioned leader.

Mast is among the league leaders in rebounds and is a highly efficient offensive player. It’s his defense that sets him apart. While many notice teammate Maley Leons’ defensive numbers, some of those around the Bradley program believe Mast is the team’s best defender. His interior defense gives Leons the freedom to gamble on the defensive end.

Belmont’s Ben Sheppard has been the league’s best player most of the season. His game is deep and wide. He remains among the league leaders in eight different categories and continues to score at a high rate.

If Belmont wins the league, clearly he will take home the Larry Bird Trophy. With one month left of the season, this writer would vote for Sheppard even if his team doesn’t win the title. There is, however, a lot of time left in this season.