For the first time in 11 seasons, Bradley men’s basketball has an all-Missouri Valley Conference first team honoree. Junior guard Terry Roberts became the first Brave to earn the accolade since Andrew Warren in 2010-11, as announced by the MVC on Tuesday.
Roberts also collected the league’s Newcomer of the Year award after a regular season in which he averaged 14.4 PPG, 5 RPG and 4.2 assists per game.
“I’m happy about it, but there’s still work to be done,” Roberts said. “I can’t wait to play in the tournament and show everybody what we can do.”
Roberts is the seventh Brave to win the Newcomer of the Year award and is the first since Marcellus Sommerville in 2004.
“I definitely credit my teammates and my coaches,” Roberts said. “They’ve definitely helped me [adjust to the Valley]. I appreciate them. I definitely feel like I’ve proved myself and I’m continuing to prove myself. It’s only up from here.”
Sophomore forward Rienk Mast was selected to the all-conference third team, as just one of two underclassmen to make the All-Valley team. Mast led the conference in rebounding, averaging 8.3 RPG, while also averaging 11.6 PPG, second on Bradley’s roster behind Roberts.
On Wednesday, Mast was also named to the conference’s most-improved team after upping his scoring average by about three points and his rebounding average by two.
While some expressed their displeasure with Mast not being selected for first or second team, he said he knows it’s about wins and losses at the end of the day.
“If we’re talking in terms of a cake, it’s just some sparkles,” Mast said. “I think the cherry on top is still that [conference] championship that we’re going to try to get this weekend. That’s my main focus now. Everything that I win individually is nice, but that’s mostly because the team is doing well. The teams that are in the top three have players higher ranked.”
Additionally, freshman guard Connor Hickman was named to the All-MVC freshman team. The Bloomington, Indiana native is the seventh player in seven seasons to collect all-freshman honors under Bradley head coach Brian Wardle.
Hickman ranked second among MVC freshmen in scoring average, tallying 6.7 PPG — second only to Freshman of the Year Tucker DeVries, who led Drake with 13.6 PPG.
“I’m very thankful for my teammates for always pushing me and holding me accountable,” Hickman said. “They’re always pushing me to get out of my own head and to play my game.”
Entering Friday’s Arch Madness quarterfinal matchup with Loyola, Hickman has scored in double figures in back-to-back contests (15 against Missouri State and 14 against Valparaiso) after falling short of 10 in nine straight games beforehand.
“I did start off rough, but Coach Wardle is always in my ear [saying] ‘Keep shooting, let the game come to you,’” Hickman said. “‘You just got to learn, and eventually consistent games will come,’ and that’s what I’m trying to string together right now going into the tournament.”
Bradley will need to string together three straight wins to capture its third MVC tournament title in four seasons, starting with its matchup with Loyola at 2:30 on Friday.
