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 /
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Missouri Valley Basketball Northern Iowa Panthers guard Michael Duax David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Missouri Valley Basketball Northern Iowa Panthers guard Michael Duax David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Who is the Missouri Valley Basketball Freshman of the Year?

There are four players who could claim this title and the final three weeks of the season will give one of them the edge. Belmont’s Cade Tyson hit the Bruins’ game-winning shot during the season’s first game and hasn’t looked back. He is the Valley’s leading rookie scorer (13.5 ppg) and has been a key component in the Belmont attack all season.

Tyson can shoot and he can score. His free throw and three-point percentages are shockingly good for a freshman and no part of the game, seems too big for the 6’7 North Carolina native.

Indiana State’s Robbie Avila broke on to the scene quite early too. The 6’9 Chicago native jumped into the starting lineup early in the season and has had some remarkable performances. His 18 points at Murray State and his 22 at Drake are two of those performances, but his great footwork around the rim and his ability to connect from long distance are uncanny. A 6’9 rookie shouldn’t be able to do what the goggled Avila seems to do with ease.

Two Northern Iowa freshmen are making a run at the top two favorites. Guard Trey Campbell has started every UNI contest and wing Michael Duax seemingly improves with each passing game. Campbell has been so solid, that people forget he is a freshman. Duax has had explosive performances that grabbed the attention of Valley fans repeatedly. His ability to score, rebound and dunk has captured the attention and affection of the Panther fans.

A dark horse in this race could be Missouri State’s Damien Mayo. If the Bears go on a late run and Mayo steps onto center stage, this rookie could kick the door in and swing some votes. Mayo started early in the season and then injuries and other rotation juggling by coach Dana Ford limited his playing time. Now healthy, Mayo is back in the starting lineup and is contributing. Over the past four games, he is averaging over nine points per game.

Other freshmen of note are UNI’s Landon Wolf, Belmont’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie, and Vapo’s Maximus Nelson.