The Missouri Valley Conference released the majority of its accolades for the 2009-2010 season this afternoon, and Northern Iowa’s Adam Koch took home the top prize.
Koch, a senior forward from Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, earned the Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year award. Joining Koch on the all-MVC first team are Osiris Eldridge and Dinma Odiakosa from Illinois State, Wichita State’s Clevin Hannah, and Drake’s Josh Young.
Creighton’s only all-MVC performer is Kenny Lawson, who joins UNI’s Jordan Eglseder as the low post players on the all-MVC second team. Bradley’s Sam Maniscalco, Indiana State’s Harry Marshall, and Missouri State’s Kyle Weems round out the all-MVC second team.
Two other Panthers earned honorable mention — Kwadzo Ahelegbe and Ali Farokhmanesh — while Wichita State (Toure’ Murry), Drake (Adam Templeton), and Bradley (Andrew Warren) also had other players receive mention.
The Valley’s all-defensive team is led by Odiakosa, and every spot is occupied by someone who earned at least honorable mention consideration for the all-Valley teams. This includes Eldridge, Koch, Lawson, Marshall, and Murry.
As for the newcomers, Missouri State’s Adam Leonard (Newcomer of the Year) and Evansville’s Colt Ryan (Freshman of the Year) received individual awards. Joining those two on the all-newcomer team are Gabe Blair (WSU), Tony Freeman (SIU), Jermaine Mallett (MSU), and Ryan Wedel (DU).
Ryan is the only one of the all-newcomer team to make the all-freshman squad. Joining him on the all-frosh team are Creighton’s Ethan Wragge, Drake’s Seth VanDeest, SIU’s Gene Teague, and Illinois State’s Jackie Carmichael.
Lucas O’Rear is once again the Valley’s Sixth-Man of the Year, and the MVC offices will release the rest of the all-bench team (as well as the most-improved team) on Wednesday.