This week's Missouri Valley Conference players of the week include Austin Phyfe of UNI and Donovan Clay of Valparaiso.
MVC Player of the Week
Austin Phyfe, UNI
R-So., Ctr., Waverly, Iowa
Phyfe finished with 27 points, shot 62 percent, and hauled in 21 rebounds in two Valley games last game, averaging nearly a point and rebound per minute played as UNI won both of its games last week by 20+ points. Phyfe was 5-of-6 from the field against Evansville on Wednesday night, finishing with 10 points and two assists. He led the way for the Panthers against Drake on Saturday night, going 8-of-15 from the field to lead the team with 17 points. Against the Bulldogs, Phyfe tied a career-high in rebounds with 18, grabbing six offensive boards. The sophomore center added two blocks, two assists and one steal to help the Panthers secure the MVC regular-season title while locking in the No. 1 seed in Arch Madness.
MVC Newcomer of the Week
Donovan Clay, Valparaiso
G/F, Fr., Alton, Ill.
Clay led the team in scoring and rebounding this week, averaging 16.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest. He played a key role in Valpo withstanding the loss of leading scorer and rebounder Javon Freeman-Liberty due to illness in Tuesday’s 89-74 win over Missouri State, going 11-of-17 from the field for a career-high 22 points while leading the team in both points and rebounds (seven). He shared the team lead in scoring in Saturday’s road setback at Indiana State, turning in 11 points and five boards.
OTHERS CONSIDERED
Nate Kennell, Bradley -- Led the Braves in the final weekend of regular-season play, averaging 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 53.3 percent (8-of-15) from 3-point range. The senior led BU in a road rivalry victory at Illinois State with 19 points to go with five boards and three assists. He then tallied 19 points with a 5-of-7 mark from 3-point range against Loyola in the regular-season finale.
Cameron Krutwig, Loyola -- In two wins last week, Krutwig contributed 16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per contest, shooting 53.3 percent (16-for-30) from the fieldas Loyola locked up a second-place finish and the No. 2 seed for Arch Madness. The 2019-20 MVC Preseason Player of the Year registered 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three thefts in a 64-60 victory over Drake February 25 before piling up 16 points, seven boards, three helpers and a steal in a thrilling 67-66 victory at Bradley.
Christian Williams, Indiana State -- Williams picked up right where he left off after capturing the MVC Player of the Week Award last week by leading the Sycamores with 15.5 ppg and 5.0 rebounds per game as the Sycamores won at Southern Illinois and home against Valparaiso en route to rising to the No. 3 seed at Arch Madness. Williams closed out his home career in style on Saturday by going 7-of-11 from the field to post a career-high 20 points in a 71-58 win over the Crusaders.
Noah Carter, UNI -- Carter made the most of his 23 minutes of play last week, shooting 72% from the field and totaling 22 points to help the Panthers go 2-0. Carter finished 4-6 from the field against Evansville and knocked down two three-pointer. Carter electrified the Knapp Center on Saturday night, scoring his 11 points in rapid succession. Carter finished 4-5 while going 3-4 from beyond the arc.
Gaige Prim, Missouri State -- Prim averaged 15.5 points and 6.0 rebounds while connecting on 42.1 percent of his shots from the floor (8-of-19), while going 15-of-17 from the foul stripe as the Bears split a pair of games last week.
Kabir Mohammed, Missouri State -- Led by a career-high 15 points and 7 rebounds from senior Kabir Mohammed, Missouri State turned back visiting Southern Illinois, 84-59, on Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams. Mohammed scored 12 points and snagged 4 rebounds in the first 20 minutes to pace MSU's great start. The Bears built a 13-point lead late in the period, and Mohammed's layup with 3:07 remaining in the opening stanza ignited a 10-0 run by the Bears to turn a three-point lead into a 38-25 advantage.
Jake LaRavia, Indiana State -- Tallied 10.5 ppg and 4.0 rebounds per outing as the Sycamores swept a pair of games at Southern Illinois and at home against Valparaiso. LaRavia was 8-of-14 from the field (57.1 percent), including a 3-of-4 mark (75 percent) from 3-point range. He added four blocks, four assists and two steals to extend the Sycamores’ winning streak to four games heading into the conference tournament.
Tate Hall, Loyola -- Hall averaged 10.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals, knocking down 42.9 percent (3-for-7) of his triple tries, as Loyola went 2-0 last week and improved to 21-10 overall and 13-5 in Valley action. To open the week, the transfer from University of Indianapolis recorded 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals in a 64-60 decision over Drake. He concluded a solid regular season by producing nine points, two boards, an assist and a steal in a 67-66 victory at Bradley which clinched Loyola sole possession of second place in the league race.
Lance Jones, Southern Illinois -- Jones averaged 22 points on 64% shooting for SIU last week. He was 16-of-25 from the floor (64.0%), 2-of-5 from the 3-point line (40.0%), and 10-of-13 from the free throw line (76.9%). He added 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in the week. Jones scored or assisted on 21 of SIU’s 42 field goals in the two games. He scored 28 points against Missouri State, tied with his teammate Marcus Domask for the most by an MVC freshman in a league game since 2014.
DJ Horne, Illinois State -- Averaged 15.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists during the week for the Redbirds. He made 47.8 percent (11-of-23) of his shots from the field and all eight of his free throw tries. In the week finale, a road win at Evansville, he scored a career-high 24 points, hitting on half of his 16 shots, while making all eight free throws. He also pulled down a career-high seven rebounds against the Aces, while dishing out three assists and adding a steal.