DeVries named MVC Player of the Year

MBB: Anderson and Moore are the only Racers to earn postseason honors

Drake’s Tucker DeVries is the ninth player in Missouri Valley Conference history to win back-to-back Player of the Year awards. (Photo: Drake Athletics)

For the second-straight year, Drake’s Tucker DeVries is the recipient of the Missouri Valley Conference’s Larry Bird Trophy, given to the Valley’s Player of the Year. DeVries is now one of nine players to win the award in back-to-back years. The last to do it was Creighton’s Doug McDermott in 2012 and 2013.

Monday, Murray State senior guard Quincy Anderson was named to the MVC All-Scholar Team. Brian Moore Jr. was the only other Racer to earn a postseason award by landing on the All-Bench Team.

Here is the list of 2023-24 Missouri Valley Conference postseason award winners:

All-Conference Teams

1st Team

• Robbie Avila — Indiana State

• Darnell Brodie — Drake

• Duke Deen — Bradley

• Tucker DeVries — Drake (Larry Bird Trophy Winner)

• Xavier Johnson — Southern Illinois

• Malevy Leons — Bradley

2nd Team

• Ryan Conwell — Indiana State

• Ja’Kobi Gillespie — Belmont

• Jayson Kent — Indiana State

• Isaiah Swope — Indiana State

• Cade Tyson — Belmont

3rd Team

• Malik Dia — Belmont

• Connor Hickman — Bradley

• Nate Heise — Northern Iowa

• Julian Larry — Indiana State

• Alston Mason — Missouri State

All-Newcomer Team

• Ryan Conwell — Indiana State

• Malik Dia — Belmont

• Myles Foster — Illinois State

• Ben Humrichous — Evansville

• Isaiah Swope — Indiana State

All-Freshman Team

• Almar Atlason — Bradley

• Chuck Bailey III — Evansville

• Cooper Schwieger — Valparaiso (Freshman of the Year)

• Johnny Kinziger — Illinois State

• Kevin Overton — Drake

All-Defensive Team

• Ja’Kobi Gillespie — Belmont

• Jayson Kent — Indiana State

• Julian Larry — Indiana State

• Malevy Leons — Bradley (Defensive Player of the Year)

• Toby Okani — UIC

All-Bench Team

• Xavier Bledson — Indiana State (6th Man of the Year)

• Chuck Bailey III — Evansville

• Tanner Cuff — Evansville

• Cesare Edwards — Missouri State

• Colby Garland — Drake

• Johnny Kinziger — Illinois State

• Brian Moore Jr. — Murray State

Most Improved Team

• Xavier Johnson — Southern Illinois

• Ja’Kobi Gillespie — Belmont

• Darius Hannah — Bradley

• Connor Hickman — Bradley

• Jayson Kent — Indiana State