How the Bradley Braves fared in Missouri Valley basketball awards ahead of Arch Madness

Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star

Thu, Mar 7, 2024, 4:18 AM·6 min read

Bradley's Malevy Leons (14) and Duke Deen embrace after extending the Braves' lead over SIU late in the second half of their Missouri Valley Conference basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 at Carver Arena in Peoria. The Braves routed the Salukis 86-67 in the last home game of the season.

The Bradley Braves landed a pair of spots on the all-Missouri Valley Conference first team Wednesday as they prepared to launch their bid for the top spot in the 2024 Arch Madness tournament.

Braves point guard Duke Deen and forward Malevy Leons were named to the Valley first team — and Leons repeated as Valley Defensive MVP — at the annual awards banquet in St. Louis.

That duo will lead No. 3 seed Bradley (21-10, 13-7) in the quarterfinals at 8:30 p.m. Friday in Enterprise Center against the winner of the Southern Illinois vs Illinois-Chicago game scheduled for Thursday night.

Deen averaged 14.26 points per game (13th in the league) and was seventh in the Valley with 3.87 assists per game. He made nine 3-pointers in an 86-62 win at Missouri State on Feb. 21, an all-time single-game record for the Bradley program and the most ever at Great Southern Bank Arena.

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Leons surpassed 1,000 career points at Bradley in a Feb. 3 win at Illinois State. His 6.81 rebounds per game were seventh in the Valley, and his 14.13 points per game were 14th. He finished third in steals with 50, and third in blocked shot with 45, a nice defense of his 2023 Defensive MVP honor. He was the fifth player in Bradley's history last year to win the Defensive MVP honors. Now he is the first player in program history to win it twice.

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Bradley guard Connor Hickman caught a spot on the all-Valley third team. Forward Almar Atlason earned a spot on the Valley All-Freshman Team, while Hickman and forward Darius Hannah earned places on the Valley Most Improved team on Tuesday.

Indiana State dominates MVC awards

The awards were dominated by conference regular-season champion Indiana State, which landed five players on the all-Valley teams and saw coach Josh Schertz named Valley Coach of the Year.

Under Schertz, the Sycamores' 26 wins are the most for ISU since the Sycamores won their first 33 games in 1978-79 and reached the NCAA Final Four title game. The 17 league wins also surpass the school record of 16 established by that Larry-Bird-led 1979 team.

Schertz earned 185 points, including 50 of 51 first-place votes, on ballots cast by Valley coaches, sports information directors and selected media. Drake coach Darren DeVriese was runner-up at 96 points, and Southern Illinois coach Bryan Mullins had the other first-place vote.

Drake sharpshooter Tucker DeVries repeated as MVC Larry Bird Trophy winner as the league's player of the year. He's the first to win the award in consecutive seasons since Creighton's Doug McDermott in 2012-13. DeVries collected 160 points on 32 first-place votes, while Indiana State big man Robbie Avila had 131 points on 16 first-place votes. Southern's Xavier Johnson siphoned off seven first-place votes.

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Here's a look at the complete list of honors for the Missouri Valley Conference:

Larry Bird Trophy (Player of Year)

Tucker DeVries, Drake

Newcomer of the Year

Ryan Conwell, Indiana State

Freshman of the Year

Cooper Schwieger, Valparaiso

Defensive MVP

Malevy Leons, Bradley

Bradley's Malevy Leons, left, tries to stop ISU's Chase Walker under the basket in the first half of their Missouri Valley Conference basketball game Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024 at Carver Arena in Peoria.

Sixth-Man of the Year

Xavier Bledson, Indiana State

MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Ben Humrichous, Evansville

Most Improved Player of Year

Xavier Johnson, Southern Illinois

MVC Coach of Year

Josh Schertz, Indiana State

2023-24 Missouri Valley all-conference teams

FIRST TEAM

Robbie Avila, Indiana State, So., C, 6-10, Oak Forest, Oak Forest High
Darnell Brodie, Drake, Gr., F, 6-10, Newark (N.J.) Newark East Side/Seton Hall
Duke Deen, Bradley, Sr., G, 5-9, Shreveport (La.) Bossier High/Troy
Tucker DeVries, Drake, Jr., G/F, 6-7, Waukee (Iowa) Waukee High
Xavier Johnson, SIU, Gr., G, 6-1, Germantown (Md.) Episcopal/George Mason
Malevy Leons, Bradley, Gr., F, 6-9, IJmuiden (Netherlands) Apollo Amsterdam

Bradley's Duke Deen, left, and Malevy Leons celebrate one of Deen's three-pointers against UIC in the first half of their Missouri Valley Conference basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 at Carver Arena in Peoria. The Braves defeated the Flames 85-73.

SECOND TEAM

Ryan Conwell, Indiana St., So., G, 6-4, Indianapolis (Ind.) Pike HS/South Florida
Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Belmont, So., G, 6-1, Greeneville (Tenn.) Greeneville High
Jayson Kent, Indiana State, Jr., G/F, 6-8, Oak Forest (Ill.) Oak Forest HS/Bradley
Isaiah Swope, Indiana St., Jr., G, 5-10, Newburgh (Ind.) Castle HS/Southern Indiana
Cade Tyson, Belmont, So., G/F, 6-7, Monroe (N.C.) Carmel Christian High

THIRD TEAM

Malik Dia, Belmont, So., F, 6-9, Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Ensworth HS/Vanderbilt
Connor Hickman, Bradley, Jr., G, 6-3, Bloomington (Ind.) Bloomington South High
Nate Heise, UNI, Jr., G, 6-5, Lake City (Minn.) Lincoln High
Julian Larry, Indiana St., Jr., G, 6-3, Frisco (Texas) iSchool Entrepreneurial Acad.
Alston Mason, Missouri St., Jr., G, 6-2, Phoenix (Ariz.) Blue Valley NW High/Oklahoma

2024 MVC ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM

Ryan Conwell, Indiana St., So., G, 6-4, Indianapolis (Ind.) Pike HS/South Florida
Malik Dia, Belmont, So., F, 6-9, Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Ensworth HS/Vanderbilt
Myles Foster, Illinois State, Sr., F, 6-7, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Brooks School/Monmouth
Ben Humrichous, Evansville, Sr., G/F, 6-9, Tipton (Ind.) Tipton HS/Huntington Univ.
Isaiah Swope, Indiana St., Jr., G, 5-10, Newburgh (Ind.) Castle HS/Southern Indiana

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2024 MVC ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

Almar Atlason, Bradley, F, 6-8, Reykjabik (Iceland) Sunrise Christian Acad.
Chuck Bailey III, Evansville, G, 6-5, Detroit (Mich.) Hamtramck High
Cooper Schwieger, Valpo, F, 6-9, Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley Southwest
Johnny Kinziger, Illinois St., G, 5-11, De Pere (Wis.) De Pere High
Kevin Overton, Drake, G, 6-5, Oklahoma City (Okla.) Midwest City

UIC head coach Luke Yaklich, at lower left in the background, shows his displeasure with a dunk by Bradley's Almar Atlason in the first half of their Missouri Valley Conference basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 at Carver Arena in Peoria. The Braves defeated the Flames 85-73.

2024 MVC ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM

Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Belmont, So., G, 6-1, Greeneville (Tenn.) Greeneville High
Jayson Kent, Indiana State, Jr., G/F, 6-8, Oak Forest (Ill.) Oak Forest HS/Bradley
Julian Larry, Indiana St., Jr., G, 6-3, Frisco (Texas) iSchool Entrepreneurial Acad.
Malevy Leons, Bradley, Gr., F, 6-9, IJmuiden (Netherlands) Apollo Amsterdam
Toby Okani, UIC, Sr., G, 6-8, Orange (N.J.) Cushing Academy/Duquesne

2024 MVC ALL-BENCH TEAM

Chosen by MVC beat writers/media panel; * captain

*Xavier Bledson, Ind St., R-Sr., G, 6-6, Gainesville (Ga.) Gainesville High
Chuck Bailey III, Evansville, Fr., G, 6-5, Detroit (Mich.) Hamtramck High
Tanner Cuff, Evansville, Jr., F, 6-7, American Fork (Utah) Salt Lake City CC
Cesare Edwards, Missouri State, Jr., F, 6-9, Hartsville (S.C.) Hartsville High
Colby Garland, Drake, Fr., G, 6-1, Magnolia (Ark.) Maumelle High
Johnny Kinziger, Illinois St., Fr., G, 5-11, De Pere (Wis.) De Pere High
Brian Moore Jr., Murray St., Jr., G, 6-1, Harlem (N.Y.) Kingston High

MOST-IMPROVED TEAM