Top 10 MVC Juniors

[electricmayhem]

Here's an article about the top 10 juniors in the Valley this year.

http://www.examiner.com/x-7020-Bradley-Braves-Examiner~y2009m9d7-Missouri-Valley-Preview-200910-Top-10-Juniors

[Da Coach]

It appears the junior class in the MVC is not extremely deep. But I guess I need to see players like Wayne Runnels and Nafis Ricks actually play at the D1 level before I would put them on a Top 10 list ahead of established players like Lucas O'Rear and others. Runnels may not even break Creighton's starting lineup, and Ricks played junior college ball at the Division II level, and despite the hype surrounding Ricks' "Player of the Year", I believe he is overrated. He is a shoot-first point guard who shoots threes very poorly- and remember, the juco 3-point line is still the shorter 19'9" distance, and he'll have to adjust to the 20'9" distance this year in D1.
By the way, Nafis Ricks' three point percentage was 30.26% (23 of 76) for the season, not 31.6%-

http://njcaa.org/colleges_college_stats.cfm?sid=5&divid=0&slid=2&seasonselect=426&collegeid=1335&report_id=2831&requesttimeout=500

[tornado]

that is surprising that four of the ten on the list didn't play MVC ball last year, and yet several fine juniors
that DID play and made impacts last year are not mentioned...Bocot, Creekmore, O'Rear, Korver, Van Tongeren, Harriman.

Here's are three questions......I believe the answers will shock some people!
1-What MVC junior had the highest scoring average last season?
2-What MVC junior had the most assists last season?
3-and of the two guys on the list who return the highest scoring (Stinnett & Maniscalco) which one has the better career 3-pt shooting pct. BY FAR?


Answers.......mouse over to read the answers...
1- Sam Maniscalco had the highest scoring average for sophomores in the MVC, 12.6 ppg
2- This one will shock people since Kwadzo got all the press, but not only did Sam Maniscalco outscore Kwadzo, he also had MORE assists (110 to 106)
3- Sam Maniscalco by FAR!!...Sam has a career 35.4% 3-pt shooting pct., while Stinnett's is 31.8%


One last question....who is ISU's top scoring returning junior??
Answer...Alex Rubin, 1.5 ppg, 32 total points scored last year.

[electricmayhem]

I just think that several of the juco transfers have a chance to make a bigger impact that some established players. Several of those you just mentioned are on the HM list.

that is surprising that four of the ten on the list didn't play MVC ball last year, and yet several fine juniors
that DID play and made impacts last year are not mentioned...Bocot, Creekmore, O'Rear, Korver, Van Tongeren, Harriman.

Here's are three questions......I believe the answers will shock some people!
1-What MVC junior had the highest scoring average last season?
2-What MVC junior had the most assists last season?
3-and of the two guys on the list who return the highest scoring (Stinnett & Maniscalco) which one has the better career 3-pt shooting pct. BY FAR?


Answers.......mouse over to read the answers...
1- Sam Maniscalco had the highest scoring average for sophomores in the MVC, 12.6 ppg
2- This one will shock people since Kwadzo got all the press, but not only did Sam Maniscalco outscore Kwadzo, he also had MORE assists (110 to 106)
3- Sam Maniscalco by FAR!!...Sam has a career 35.4% 3-pt shooting pct., while Stinnett's is 31.8%


One last question....who is ISU's top scoring returning junior??
Answer...Alex Rubin, 1.5 ppg, 32 total points scored last year.

[tornado]

Since you listed the Ricks....I thought I would go back THREE full years and grab ALL of the names of all the 1st team DIVISION II juco All Americans and see how they fared once they got to NCAA Division I.
This doesn't mean Ricks can't be a top player, but it kinda reflects how the very BEST D-II juco players do when they reach NCAA D-I.

And not many become really very effective or successful at D-I....a few did, but you can count the THREE year total on one hand.

Here are the names - and I have only included the ones who were 1st TEAM and who have graduated from juco in 2008 and before so they'd have had a chance by now to play in 4-year college.

Eddie Miller G 6-3 170 So. Cecil College - went to Fresno State, 12 ppg
John Williamson F 6-7 So. Cincinnati State Technical & CC - went to Cincinnati, 12 ppg
Brian Hill G 6-4 195 So. Kaplan University - went to Texas State, 2 ppg then transferred
Marvin Owens G 6-4 185 So. Community College of Rhode Island did not play after juco
Klaye Rowe F 6-4 190 So. Iowa Central Community College - did not play after juco
Ira Brown G 6-4 235 Fr. Phoenix College - went to Gonzaga, barely played, 1.1 ppg
Kris Harris G 6'2 175 So South Suburban College - at UIC 2 ppg
Bryan Petersen PG 6'1 175 So Kirkwood Community College - did not play after juco
Les Simmons F 6'7 225 So Cecil College - Morehead State, barely played, 3 ppg then transferred
Kevin Tiggs F 6'4 210 So Mott Community College - went to ETSU became their best player, 14.6 ppg
Ray Blackburn G 6'1 165 SO Erie Community College at St. Bonaventure, 8 ppg
Ali Farokhmanesh G 6' 180 SO Kirkwood Community College - at UNI doing well, 9.6 ppg
Jeremie Simmons G 6'1" 172 SO Mott Community College - reserve at Ohio State 6 ppg
Rob Lowery G 6'2" 180 SO Cecil College - at Dayton, 7 ppg
David Cuen F 6'5" 195 SO South Mountain Community College - at D-II
Shaun Knife G 6'5" 185 FR Bismarck State College - did not play after juco
Bobby Hill F 6'6" 220 SO Lincoln College - redshirted last year at ISU
John Pringle F 6'7" 220 SO Essex County College - at D-II

so over the last 3 years of NJCAA D-II juco grads who made 1st team All American,
18 players, 7 didn't or haven't yet even played D-I, four more barely played or transferred out of D-I,
and of the 7 who played well enough to get decent playing time, 3 scored double digits, and maybe four played well enough
to be named among the best juniors or jucos in their respective leagues. (Miller, Williamson, Tiggs, and Farokhmanesh)


Again...this isn't meant to say some D-II juco kid couldn't come along and be a star, and we've had this discussion before, but the D-II juco kids rarely, and stress RARELY ever star at the NCAA D-I level, and only a few over the past 3-year span have even gotten mention among the best players in their respective leagues.
By huge contrast, virtually every NCAA D-I team, and certainly every Valley team has had numerous NJCAA D-I juco kids become starters and even STARS for them (Theron Wilson, Anthony Slack, Booker Woodfox, Al Stewart, Ramon Clemente, Chris Cooks, Clevin Hannah, Rashad Reed, Dodie Dunson, Chris Roberts, Craig Stanley, Cavel Witter, Lloyd Phillips, Emmanuel Holloway...)

[Bradleyguy10]

I don't know much about the other teams and their players so I'll have to take your word for it. I don't even necessarily blame you for having SM as 8th best junior in the MVC which is still good, but just the fact that it was mentioned that he'd be fighting for time with EM. I just don't understand how people who look through the statistics and see what SM has done don't see him as being a starting pg next year. I just don't understand what EM has that SM doesn't. Why in the world would EM play over a guy that has 2 full years of experience, is a captain, and is in the top of the league in most major categories offensively? I just don't understand it. SM has just as good as pg skills as edge, has more of a scoring ability, and he plays his heart out. He should dominate if he no longer receives the other teams #1 defender.

[electricmayhem]

I don't know much about the other teams and their players so I'll have to take your word for it. I don't even necessarily blame you for having SM as 8th best junior in the MVC which is still good, but just the fact that it was mentioned that he'd be fighting for time with EM. I just don't understand how people who look through the statistics and see what SM has done don't see him as being a starting pg next year. I just don't understand what EM has that SM doesn't. Why in the world would EM play over a guy that has 2 full years of experience, is a captain, and is in the top of the league in most major categories offensively? I just don't understand it. SM has just as good as pg skills as edge, has more of a scoring ability, and he plays his heart out. He should dominate if he no longer receives the other teams #1 defender.

Bradleyguy - I don't really disagree with this, but the fact is that EM started all 18 games at the point during Valley season last year. Assuming AW is back at full strength, there is no way that SM gets 34 minutes per game. You'll see EM and SM on the floor at the same time, but SM really wasn't used in a PG position last season. I don't think SM will fight for EM's minutes, but just for minutes at any guard position.

I like Sam a lot. I think he's a tough kid and an excellent person. I watched him play in HS and sat next to his HS coach at the Loyola game in 2007. He's an excellent asset to the team. That being said, I think he's the third most talented guard between he, EM and DD. Yes, he is the leading returning junior scorer. Yes, he is one of the best free throw shooters in the league. But I think the team would be better off with SM as the third guard.

If you have a lineup of EM, DD, AW, TB, and WE - and bring SM off the bench with CR, SS and some of the kids, that's a solid team. I know CR will probably start, but that's just my thought.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Nacho]

that is surprising that four of the ten on the list didn't play MVC ball last year, and yet several fine juniors
that DID play and made impacts last year are not mentioned...Bocot, Creekmore, O'Rear, Korver, Van Tongeren, Harriman.

Here's are three questions......I believe the answers will shock some people!
1-What MVC junior had the highest scoring average last season?
2-What MVC junior had the most assists last season?
3-and of the two guys on the list who return the highest scoring (Stinnett & Maniscalco) which one has the better career 3-pt shooting pct. BY FAR?


Answers.......mouse over to read the answers...
1- Sam Maniscalco had the highest scoring average for sophomores in the MVC, 12.6 ppg
2- This one will shock people since Kwadzo got all the press, but not only did Sam Maniscalco outscore Kwadzo, he also had MORE assists (110 to 106)
3- Sam Maniscalco by FAR!!...Sam has a career 35.4% 3-pt shooting pct., while Stinnett's is 31.8%


One last question....who is ISU's top scoring returning junior??
Answer...Alex Rubin, 1.5 ppg, 32 total points scored last year.

Without doing to research, I would assume Maniscalco had more assists in more game played- due to the CIT. What were the assists/game numbers?

[tornado]

so Sam's numbers are meaningless, huh?
both players' numbers work out to 3.1 apg

[newBUfan]

hmmm...

nuclear competitive spirit + high bball IQ + extreme toughness - athletisim = Sam M

this is an equation that can be apllied to lots of bball players, however Sam M is a finalist for the poster boy shot.

he wont wow you, unless 3point shot is on fire, but will get the job done on most night against anybody.

[Nacho]

so Sam's numbers are meaningless, huh?
both players' numbers work out to 3.1 apg

hmmm...where did you read that I thought they were meaningless ? I was just wondering why you would use scoring average for one stat and total assists for the other one... the numbers are impressive none-the-less... just wondering