Let's do this: Who is this year's MVP?

[Rosewood]

This is Sophie's choice. With yet another great Marshall team it is once again hard to pick an MVP. The system wouldn't work as well with any one guy out. Cle, Ron, Fred, and Tekele go together like peas and carrots and wicked slam dunks.

Lutz tackles the question here: http://www.kansas.com/2014/02/27/331...ta-states.html ; I spent a good portion of the drive home from Peoria debating this. How can you not have 4 WSU players on the All Valley team? Wichita State absolutely dominated the league this year. All four of our main line guys had games where they killed it. And if you wanted to put together a Valley Dream Team for this year you wouldn't leave those 4 off. You wouldn't sit any of those 4 for another player. But that is the easy question.

The hard question is pick the MVP. Pick just ONE element out of a well balanced equation.

[kcshocker11]

More important how do you have a all Valley team without 4 Shockers on the 1st team? That is the real question here. Good Question, you cant

I voted for TC, lock down defender, vastly improved offense, many times a game changer.

[SHOXAAC]

Easy question to answer...RonAnthony VanCotton. Duh!!!

Are there any other contenders?

[Rosewood]

It is a true paradox. You can't but at the same time how can you not? The 4 best in the league are at Wichita St. You wouldn't sit any of those 4 for a player on another team.

[AndShock]

Give it to Cle this year, Tekele next year, and Ron and Fred can have a gladiator battle for it their senior year.

[shock]

NM

[Shock Top]

The real question is, who joins these four for First-Team All-Valley?? ;)

[60Shock]

I treasure them all and in numerous past years, anyone of the four would have been the obvious choice.

The great thing about this year is that we have four outstanding young men, anyone of which deserves the award.

Can we just not vote a 4-way tie and let it go at that?

[shoxilla]

Freddy may win not because of what he is supposed to do (score, steal, assist and keep turnovers low), but rather for what he isn't supposed to do (rebound). He has to be the best rebounder of any pt guard in the country. All the other guys do (and they do it superbly I might add) just what they are supposed to do.

P.S. How many times during a game have you said to yourself "Wow, that was a great play by _______________" . You can insert the name of every player on this team.

P.S.S. How may times have you said "Wow, _____________ just took over this game". You can insert the name of most players on this team.

[Shocktoberfest]

I voted for Cle but only because is a senior. That is why he will be POY for the valley. But in reality the question that is easiest to answer for me is when do I most likely have belly aches of nerves when they are out of the game? For that question Fred and Ron tie. Dang! But TC is my favorite. Double dang!! Damn I love this team!

[Dave Stalwart]

Cle for leading the team in scoring and hitting 1000 as a two year player. Give it to the senior when the debate is this close.

[Veritas]

We would have won more games without Fred than we would have without Cle. Cle brings additional aspects to the game that allows Fred to be successful.
Both are great players, but I'd have to go with Cle.

[shockrah]

I voted for Cle purely because he is a Senior this year, I truly think all 4 are deserving

[ShockTalk]

I found this interesting. I looked at what I thought was our 7 toughest games: BYU, @St Louis, TN, @Alabama, @MSU, @IN St, and @UNI.

Total minutes played in these games: Cotton 247, FVV 245, Baker 217, and Early 205.

Number of these games played 35+ minutes: Cotton 6, FVV 2, Baker 2, and Early 2

Number of these games played 30+ minutes: FVV 7, Cotton 6, Baker 5, and Early 4

High scorer in these games: Early 3, Cotton 2, and Baker 2.

I was impressed that in these most important games, Cotton was on the floor the most from game to game whether he was scoring or not. However, he did show he could also put up top scoring numbers.

Even though the numbers above do not show Cle that well, I think it is important to remember that he draws a lot of defensive pressure off his teammates, yet still managed to lead the team in scoring in 3 of the 7 games.

[Rlh04d]

How can you not have 4 WSU players on the All Valley team? Wichita State absolutely dominated the league this year. All four of our main line guys had games where they killed it. And if you wanted to put together a Valley Dream Team for this year you wouldn't leave those 4 off. You wouldn't sit any of those 4 for another player. But that is the easy question.

If I was drafting a Dream Team from the Valley this year, I'd have FVV, Baker, Cotton, Early, and Mock from Evansville. I think he'd be an absolute monster under Marshall's system (and be in better shape, his main drawback).

I'd go with FVV as the team MVP. I think he's the one guy that, if we didn't have him, there is no chance we'd be undefeated. But it's so damn close for all four.