Mid-season BU Team Awards

[yoda]

we're basically 1/2 way thru the 2025-26 season. 18 games in and here's what I think.

These are the Bradley TEAM awards - not the league-wide awards...
Anyone with differing views- feel free to post your thoughts.

-MVP = Jaquan Johnson
-Defensive POY = Jaquan Johnson
-Newcomer of the Year = Alex Huibregtse
-Freshman of the Year - Montana Wheeler
-Most Improved = Tie, Timoty van der Knaap, Ahmet Jonovic
-6th Man = Montana Wheeler (Runnerup Corey Thomas)
-Coach of the Year = Brian Wardle

edit...
-Fans- BEST IN THE VALLEY! Well on pace again to be #1 in the MVC (almost 5,800 in conference games)
(Note- remember when Wichita State used to draw 11K and always led the Valley?
Well, with their new, unfamiliar conference opponents like Rice, East Carolina, etc...
now they average 5100 for conference games!)

 

[basketball nut]

Right on, agree completely especially with the improvement of Meta the last few games. Timoty has been a pleasant surprise especially the last few games. He has been a rebounding machine.

 

[Stevezall]

Does Meta have a shot at bring 2nd or 3rd team all Valley with his improved play?

 

[Da Coach]

Does Meta have a shot at bring 2nd or 3rd team all Valley with his improved play?

My guess is no, unless he puts up much higher production numbers over the last half of the season. He is currently averaging 7.2 ppg (6th on the team) and 4.9 rpg (2nd on team).

 

[Tommy]

we're basically 1/2 way thru the 2025-26 season. 18 games in and here's what I think.

These are the Bradley TEAM awards - not the league-wide awards...
Anyone with differing views- feel free to post your thoughts.

-MVP = Jaquan Johnson
-Defensive POY = Jaquan Johnson
-Newcomer of the Year = Alex Huibregtse
-Freshman of the Year - Montana Wheeler
-Most Improved = Tie, Timoty van der Knaap, Ahmet Jonovic
-6th Man = Montana Wheeler (Runnerup Corey Thomas)
-Coach of the Year = Brian Wardle

edit...
-Fans- BEST IN THE VALLEY! Well on pace again to be #1 in the MVC (almost 5,800 in conference games)
(Note- remember when Wichita State used to draw 11K and always led the Valley?
Well, with their new, unfamiliar conference opponents like Rice, East Carolina, etc...
now they average 5100 for conference games!)

Hard to argue with any of that! If had to pick Most improved, I think TVK gets the nod.

 

[LittleBrave]

Montana should definitely land on All-Valley Freshman team. I don't know where this team would be without his contributions!
Provides scoring pop, great Assist-TO ratio, and great energy on both ends.

If the Braves finish Top 2 or 3, Quanny may get consideration for MVC POY with his numbers in several categories.

 

[Da Coach]

Montana should definitely land on All-Valley Freshman team. I don't know where this team would be without his contributions!
Provides scoring pop, great Assist-TO ratio, and great energy on both ends.

If the Braves finish Top 2 or 3, Quanny may get consideration for MVC POY with his numbers in several categories.

I agree that he is worthy of All-Freshman consideration, but it is a crowded field this year. The Valley has a number of good freshmen who are getting substantial playing time, some as starters, mainly because of NIL and the Portal, which are robbing MVC teams of the returning players.
Here are 12 freshmen who are among the top 70 scorers in the MVC.
Only 5 will be voted to the MVC All-Freshman team- * indicates starter ** indicates part-time starter #indicates non-starter
6'9" guard Roman Domon*- Murray State- 12.7 ppg (12th in MVC), 4.9 rpg, 54.5% FG%, 40.0% 3ptFG%
6'6" guard Andy Johnson*- UIC- 12.5 ppg (15th in MVC), 3.3 rpg, 37.4% FG%, 33.3% 3ptFG%
6'8" forward J.T. Pettigrew*- Valparaiso- 11.7 ppg (20th in MVC), 6.1 rpg (8th in MVC)
6'2" guard Ty'Reek Coleman*- Illinois State- 10.4 ppg (28th in MVC), 50.9% FG%, 45.2% 3ptFG%, 1.9 apg
6'3" guard Rakim Chaney*- Valparaiso- 10.3 ppg (29th in MVC), 39.3% 3ptFG%, 2.9 apg
5'10" guard Montana Wheeler#- Bradley- 9.4 ppg (34th in MVC), 37.7% 3pt, 3.2 apg (8th in the MVC)
6'7" 22-year old freshman Leif Moeller*- Evansville- 8.8 ppg (43rd in MVC), 3.0 rpg, 4.1 apg, 31.1% 3ptFG%
6'3" guard Bryce Quinet**- Evansville- Evansville- 8.1 ppg (49th in MVC), 2.5 rpg, 2.1 apg, 33.3% 3ptFG%
6'8" redshirt freshman forward Jayce Nathaniel**- UIC- 7.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg,
6'4" guard Jalen Haynes#- SIU- 7.6 ppg, 51.2% FG%
6'5" guard Rashund Washington*- UIC- 7.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 52.1% FG%, 33.3% 3ptFG%
6'2" guard Jack Smiley#- Belmont- 6.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.2 apg, 44.2% 3ptFG%

Who would you vote for on the All-Freshman team?