College Basketball

Wichita State, Evansville land 2 each on conference 1st team

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:16 p.m. ET

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ST. LOUIS (AP) Wichita State and Evansville landed two players each on first-team all-conference in the Missouri Valley.

All five players on the first team are seniors, and there's only one underclassman on the second team.

''The guys at Wichita State, gee whiz, you could probably write a book with all they've done,'' Evansville coach Marty Simmons said.

Guards Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet were first-team all-conference for the third straight season for Wichita State, the regular-season champion. Both rank in the top 25 all-time in conference scoring.

''It's been a while since all of most of the top guys in the league have been seniors,'' Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson said. ''There hasn't been as deep a senior class to make an impact like they have.''

D.J. Balentine, the nation's active leading scorer averaging 20.7 points this season, and Egidijus Mockevicius represent Evansville. Anthony Beane of Southern Illinois rounded out the first team. Mockevicius leads the nation in rebounding, averaging 14 boards, along with 26 double doubles. He leads the conference in shooting percentage at 65.7 percent.

Beane, second in the conference with a 19.4-point average, sustained an apparent concussion in the final game of the regular season but has been improving and passed initial tests. Beane has scored 1,900 career points, third most in school history.

''I don't play possum,'' coach Barry Hinson said. ''We anticipate he's going to play.''

The Valley was set to announce its specialty awards later Tuesday and will announce its coach of the year on Thursday. Wichita State opens the tournament Friday against the winner of the first of two play-in games.

Evansville is the second seed.

Indiana State had two players on the second team, Devonte Brown and sophomore Brenton Scott. Also honored were DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell of Illinois State, Montel James of Loyola and Wes Washpun of Northern Iowa.

Baker, VanVleet and Mockevicius are also on the all-defensive team along with Jeremy Morgan of Northern Iowa and Paris Lee of Illinois State.

Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said if he needed a stop to win the game, Baker would be his choice.

''He knows what is a foul and what is not,'' Marshall said. ''He knows the scouting report better than we do.''

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