Bradley basketball leader on watch list for prestigious mid-major award

PEORIA — Bradley Braves fifth-year level guard Duke Deen was already a must-see participant in 2024-25.

Now Deen, the preseason decide for Missouri Valley Convention Participant of the 12 months honors, has been added to the Lou Henson Award watch record. Deen is averaging 13.5 factors per recreation in Bradley’s first 4 contests, with 3.5 rebounds per recreation and 16 assists. He is capturing 42.5% from the sphere.

Henson’s nationwide Participant of the 12 months Award goes yearly to the highest participant in mid-major faculty basketball.

Deen was amongst 50 gamers included on the watch record this week, which included Northern Iowa’s Tytan Anderson and Murray State’s JaCobi Wooden.

The record additionally consists of three different gamers from groups Bradley might face within the 2024 Myrtle Seashore Invitational this week. They embrace Xaivian Lee (Princeton), Brandon Noel (Wright State) and Caden Pierce (Princeton).

2024 Lou Henson award nominees

• Tytan Anderson, UNI; Daniel Batcho, Louisiana Tech; Rasheed Bello, Purdue Fort Wayne; Austin Benigni, Navy; Devontae Blanton, EKU; Juslin Bodo Bodo, Excessive Level; Trey Bonham, Chattanooga; Jamar Brown, Kansas Metropolis; Ante Brzovic, Charleston; Adam Clark, Merrimack.

• AJ Clayton, Ohio; Zach Cleveland, Liberty; Tayton Conerway, Troy; Duke Deen, Bradley; Kintavious Dozier, Grambling; Kezza Giffa, Excessive Level; Landon Glasper, NC A&T; Tyon Grant-Foster, Grand Canyon; Barrington Hargress, UC Riverside; Bryce Harris, Howard.

• Ray Harrison, Grand Canyon; Ty Johnson, UC Davis; Jordan Jones, Central Connecticut; Rylan Jones, Samford; Kobe Julien, Arkansas State; Jacari Lane, North Alabama, Xaivian Lee, Princeton; Kino Lilly, Jr., Brown; TJ Lengthy, Vermont; Augustas Marciulionis, Saint Mary’s.

• Bez Mbeng, Yale; Issac McBride, Oral Roberts; AJ McKee, Milwaukee; Trent McLaughlin; Northern Arizona; Amarri Monroe, Quinnipiac; Brandon Noel, Wright State; Jacob Ognacevic, Lipscomb; Caden Pierce, Princeton; Josh Pascarelli, Marist; Quimari Peterson, ETSU.

• John Poulakidas, Yale; Matt Rogers, American; Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, Columbia; Christian Shumate; McNeese; Javan Simmons, Toledo; Payton Sparks, Ball State; Ray’Sean Taylor, SIU Edwardsville; Earl Timberlake; Bryant; Lamar Wilkerson, Sam Houston; JaCobi Wooden, Murray State.

Bradley in mid-major rankings

Bradley is at No. 7 within the mid-major nationwide rankings put out Monday by Faculty Insider.

Princeton, one of many crew’s the Braves might face this week on the 2024 Myrtle Seashore Invitational, is simply forward at No. 6.

Gonzaga is No. 1. Upcoming Bradley opponent San Francisco is No. 5, and Valley foes Northern Iowa (No. 14) and Drake (No. 24) made the rankings as nicely. Valley groups Murray State, Illinois State and Belmont had been amongst others receiving votes. Texas State, who Bradley faces Thursday in its Myrtle Seashore opener, additionally obtained some votes.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports activities columnist, and covers Bradley males’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports activities column for pjstar.com. He might be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Comply with him on X.com @icetimecleve.

This text initially appeared on Journal Star: Bradley basketball star is on nationwide watchlist for Lou Henson award