Valley Recruits

[Da Coach]

Commitment to Drake- Class of 2025- Bryson Bahl- 6'5" guard/forward at Papillion-La Vista South HS in Papillion, Nebraska. He was previously committed to South Dakota State. But after SDSU head coach Eric Henderson left and took the Drake job, he has switched his commitment to Drake. He averaged 21.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as a senior and lead his team to the Class 1A Nebraska state championship.

>> https://x.com/BrysonBahl20/status/1907564689007247760
>> https://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...l/82784410007/

[Da Coach]

The MVC commitments keep coming- New Drake head coach Eric Henderson gets a verbal commitment from 6'7" redshirt-sophomore guard Braden Applehans of the University of New Mexico. He is originally from Blue Springs, MO, near Kansas City. He is a left-handed shooting guard, who was limited to 10 games his first season due to an injury. He averaged 1.0 ppg, and shot 2-11 from three. His bio states he intends to apply for a medical-redshirt, despite playing in too many games to qualify under the rules. His second season, he appeared in 16 games off the bench and averaged 2.5 ppg. And this past season, his 3rd at UNM, he played in 31 games, and averaged 3.3 ppg, and shot 44% from three. He could have 2 more seasons if he gets a waiver for a red-shirt year.
Bio- https://golobos.com/roster/braden-appelhans/
Stats- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...den-appelhanss

[Da Coach]

Updated 2024-25 commitment list -
2025 MVC commitments-
Belmont- none
Bradley- Matt Zobrist, Montana Wheeler, Dietrich Richardson
Drake- Tate Sage*, Braden Appelhans, Bryson Bahl, Owen Larson, Griffen Goodbary
Evansville- Bryce Quinet
INSU- Enel St. Bernard, Kingston Land, Martin Kaupanger
ILSU- Nick Allen, Isaac Ericksen, Tyreek Coleman, Mason Klebo
Missouri State- who cares?
Murray State- Kaden Rickard*, Trey Simpson*, Tristian Ford*, Mason Miller, Frederick King, K.J. Tenner, Ben Shtolzberg
SIU- Luke Walsh, Daniel Pauliukonis
UIC- Rashund Washington, Andy Johnson, Nano Barrantes
UNI- Jalen Wilson, Geon Hutchins, Trevin Jirak
Valparaiso- J.T. Pettigrew, Carter Hopoi, Rakim Chaney
*- players who committed to coach who has since left and been replaced. Unclear if these commitments are still valid.

[Da Coach]

New Murray State head coach Ryan Miller has just landed his 3rd portal commitment in the last few days.
K.J. Tenner, a 6'0" freshman point guard. who played at West Virginia this past season for Darian DeVries. has committed to Murray State.
Bio- https://wvusports.com/sports/mens-ba...j-tenner/17960
Stats- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...0511/kj-tenner

Tenner is from Memphis and was actively recruited by Bradley - https://www.bradleyfans.com/forum/sp...e24#post512109
Bradley made his list of finalists- https://www.bradleyfans.com/forum/sp...e24#post512118
He ultimately committed to Drake - https://www.bradleyfans.com/forum/sp...e26#post512274
But he decommitted and went to West Virginia after Darian DeVries took that job. He played in 30 games, averaging 13 mpg, 2.4 ppg, 0.7 rpg, and 1.1 apg.

[yoda]

Murray State lands another commitment from the transfer portal, also from Creighton.
Frederick King, a 6'9", 250 pound...

Big body, the kind of player we don't see much in the MVC, but his skills kept him on the bench a lot, and he's a liability at the FT line,
averaging 55.1% over the past two years.
Almost all his playing time was early in the season in "garbage time", logging double digit minutes in their 35-point blowouts.
In the 2nd half of the season he only averages 3-4 min/game & 1.8 ppg, but he hit 60% and gave them a backup big guy.

[Da Coach]

Murray State gets a 2025 transfer- Creighton forward Mason Miller- https://x.com/PeteNakos_/status/1905659650898297249

He is a 6'9" junior forward and will have one season of eligibility. He averaged 1.1 ppg and 1.6 rpg. He shot 21.7% overall and 17.1% from three. He is the son of former NBA player Mike Miller, and the nephew of new Murray State head coach Ryan Miller. He was a 4-star, Top 60 player in the class of 2021.
Stats- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...5/mason-miller
Bio- https://gocreighton.com/sports/mens-...on-miller/8365
>> https://247sports.com/article/mason-...ing-150383013/

Murray State lands another commitment from the transfer portal, also from Creighton.
Fredrick King, a 6'9", 250 pound junior with one year of eligibility left -
Bio- https://gocreighton.com/sports/mens-...rick-king/8363
Stats- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba.../fredrick-king

Like Mason Miller, his stats are not very impressive. He played in 36 games for Creighton this past season (2024-25).
His averages were- 6 minutes per game, 2.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg, and a career 58% free throw shooter.
But he is a big body at 6'9", 250 pounds and like Mason Miller, he was a 4-star, Top 150 recruit in 2022.
He originally committed to Louisville in Nov., 2021, and was rated as one of the top international prospects - https://www.espn.com/recruiting/bask...its-louisville

[yoda]

a tiny bit of good news for Valpo - they do get a new commit for 2025-26 -

Rockford (IL) Auburn grad in 2024 who just finished a good year at prep school

Rakim Chaney - LINK

[Da Coach]

Murray State gets a 2025 transfer- Creighton forward Mason Miller- https://x.com/PeteNakos_/status/1905659650898297249

He is a 6'9" junior forward and will have one season of eligibility. He averaged 1.1 ppg and 1.6 rpg. He shot 21.7% overall and 17.1% from three. He is the son of former NBA player Mike Miller, and the nephew of new Murray State head coach Ryan Miller.
Stats- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...5/mason-miller
Bio- https://gocreighton.com/sports/mens-...on-miller/8365
>> https://247sports.com/article/mason-...ing-150383013/

List of all previous MVC commitments. It is unknown if any of the previous commitments to schools that have changed coaches might have changed.

2025 MVC commitments-
Belmont- none
Bradley- Matt Zobrist, Montana Wheeler, Dietrich Richardson
Drake- Tate Sage*
Evansville- Bryce Quinet
INSU- Kingston Land, Martin Kaupanger
ILSU- Nick Allen, Isaac Ericksen, Tyreek Coleman, Mason Klebo
Missouri State- who cares?
Murray State- Kaden Rickard*, Trey Simpson*, Tristian Ford*, Mason Miller, Frederick King, K.J. Tenner
SIU- Luke Walsh, Daniel Pauliukonis
UIC- Rashund Washington, Andy Johnson, Nano Barrantes
UNI- Jalen Wilson, Geon Hutchins, Trevin Jirak
Valparaiso- J.T. Pettigrew, Carter Hopoi, Rakim Chaney
*- players who committed to coach who has since left and been replaced. Unclear if these commitments are still valid.

[Da Coach]

Here is a little more about Carter Hopoi, Valpo's newest commitment-
Valparaiso gets a commitment from 6'9" forward Carter Hopoi of New Zealand. - https://x.com/hoops_mvc/status/1902466526696853940
He has played for the New Zealand U18 team, and for the Tauranga Whai club team in new Zealand, whose season just started.
> https://basketball.australiabasket.c...r-Hopoi/711017
> https://www.fiba.basketball/en/playe...5-carter-hopoi
> https://x.com/CarterHopoi/status/1902464263048048712

[yoda]

Valpo gets a commit
6-9 from New Zealand

[Da Coach]

2025 Daniel Pauliukonis is a 6'9" senior forward at Benet Academy in Darien, Illinois. He was reportedly visiting SIU this weekend, and has committed to the Salukis. He had offers from quite a few midmajors, including two other MVC schools (UIC & ILSU) - https://verbalcommits.com/players/daniel-pauliukonis

[yoda]

[Da Coach]

Drake just got a 2025 commitment from Tate Sage, a 6'7" shooting guard from Weatherford, Oklahoma.
>> https://verbalcommits.com/players/tate-sage
>> https://x.com/TateSage2/status/1779715463510917266

2025 MVC commitments-
Belmont- none
Bradley- Matt Zobrist, Montana Wheeler
Drake- Tate Sage
Evansville- Bryce Quinet
INSU- Kingston Land, Martin Kaupanger
ILSU- Nick Allen, Isaac Ericksen, Tyreek Coleman, Mason Klebo
Missouri State- who cares?
Murray State- Kaden Rickard, Trey Simpson, Tristian Ford, Mason Miller
SIU- Luke Walsh, Daniel Pauliukonis
UIC- Rashund Washington, Andy Johnson, Nano Barrantes
UNI- Jalen Wilson, Geon Hutchins, Trevin Jirak
Valparaiso- J.T. Pettigrew, Carter Hopoi

[Da Coach]

A couple new MVC commitments for UIC-
2025 Andy Johnson- 6'5" guard from Cooper High School in Union, Kentucky.
>> https://verbalcommits.com/players/andy-johnson
>> https://247sports.com/player/andy-johnson-46151468/
>> https://www.maxpreps.com/ky/union/co...=gj28004ea4lvf
>> https://nkytribune.com/2024/03/new-g...on-semifinals/

2025 Emiliano "Nano" Barrantes- 6'9" forward at Grand View Christian School in Des Moines. He played with Team Iowa United this summer, where he had some impressive performances. He is originally from Mexico.
>> https://verbalcommits.com/players/nano-barrantes
>> https://x.com/HardwoodEvents/status/1813641603577442356
>> https://x.com/TMarkwith14/status/1812521513863520511
>> https://x.com/TMarkwith14/status/1811096080680947902

[Da Coach]

Illinois State also gets a 2025 commitment tonight- 2025 Mason Klebo, a 6'1" point guard from Fargo, North Dakota.
>> https://x.com/mason_klabo/status/1835861798601339026
>> https://verbalcommits.com/players/mason-klabo

And Murray State gets another 2025 commitment- 2025 Trey Simpson, a 6'7" forward from Evergreen, Alabama.
>> https://x.com/TreySimpson0/status/1835826694210355623
>> https://verbalcommits.com/players/trey-simpson