Former WSU guard Matt Braeuer proved he possesses one sharp basketball mind last season when he picked up new coach Gregg Marshall’s system so quickly it impressed coaches. So when Braeuer spoke on KWCH’s Sports Sunday it was must-see stuff for Shocker fans.
Two things stuck out.
- Shorts are a bad look on TV. Gotta wear slacks.
- The chances of guard Toure Murry making second-team All-MVC as a freshman are slim, and that’s being generous.
OK, many other things stuck out. You can listen to his takes on Ehimen, Stutz and A.J. Hawkins on your own. I’m going to dive into the Murry statement. To be fair, Matt said Murry could be second-team All-MVC, if he really steps up and plays well. Listen to the whole thing, and it’s a safe enough statement with room to wiggle. He didn’t say “Toure Murry will make MVC fans forget the Big O and Hersey Hawkins.” Still, it’s a pretty big recommendation.
My point is not to jump on Matt Braeuer for saying something off-the-wall. He may really believe it. I guess there’s a chance he could be a prophet. Perhaps, given a second chance, he would phrase his admiration for Murry’s game in a different way. Sometimes people get rolling in front of the camera and things pop out in ways different than intended. He conveyed enthusiasm for Murry’s game, which is the main point and a good one. Murry, my guess is, will be a good player immediately for the Shockers. Making second-team All-MVC team in 2008-09 is another matter.
Those words made me wonder how often freshmen make one of the All-MVC teams.
It is a rare feat. Creighton’s Rodney Buford is the most recent freshman to make second team (1995-96). Before Buford, Indiana State’s John Williams made it in 1983. That tells you right there it’s tough. Even if a freshman performs at an all-conference pace, coaches and other voters are probably always going to lean toward upperclassmen in those ballots. So that’s one barrier right there, perhaps an unfair one in some cases. There are probably Creighton fans who believe P’Allen Stinnett was one of the 10 best players in the MVC last season. He made honorable mention.
The Valley is tough on newcomers, probably because almost everybody stays four seasons and there is so much continuity in programs. The last newcomer to make an All-MVC team was Illinois State’s Lorenzo Gordon (a JC transfer) in 2004-05. In the past 10 seasons, Gordon, Bradley’s Marcellus Sommervile and SIU’s Rolan Roberts are the only first-year MVC players to make first or second team. All three were transfers, not true freshmen.
If Matt’s prediction turns out to be correct, Murry is quite likely on his way to one great career. Nine MVC players have been All-MVC (first or second team).
- Ed Macauley, St. Louis (1946-49)
- Bill Evans, Drake (1943, 46, 48, 49)
- Vernon Yates, Oklahoma A&M (1942, 43, 48, 49)
- Cleo Littleton, Wichita (1952-55)
- Slab Jones, New Mexico State (1977-80)
- Mitchell Anderson (1979-82)
- Antoine Carr, WSU (1980-83)
- John Williams, Indiana State (1983-86)
- Rodney Buford, Creighton (1996-99)
2 Comments
Maybe Murry ought to shoot for the All-Newcomer team. I think many Shocker fans would gladly see him achieve that success, I know I would.
That’s a realistic goal. He is a smooth offensive player. Matt called him a combination of Couisnard and Ogirri. Murry, at least from what I have seen, is better going to the basket than Sean was as a Shocker (in high school he apparently drove to the basket like Iverson). I think fans are really going to like Murry’s scoring. I haven’t seen the P.J. intensity and defense yet, but I’m only watching pickup games.