Missouri Valley basketball fantasy draft - round 2

While rummaging through the cobwebs in my brain for offseason article ideas, I was reminded of a recent question posted on the Southern Illinois forum Salukitalk.net by a poster named Jimmy Haze, who uses the moniker "#1 Fan" on the site. His submission didn't get much publicity, but I liked the idea enough to get Jimmy's permission to start the thought machine around the league with a modified version of his original notion.

If all of the players in the Missouri Valley were thrown into a player pool and a fantasy-style draft was held, how would it look? All freshman are ineligible, because we simply don't know enough about most of them to make a fair assessment of their talents.

Would teams opt for experience over potential? Would they take the best starting five regardless of position? Would all ten coaches play nice together in the same board room?

This is part two in a series that will analyze the top-50 players in a five-round draft. The draft order was determined by reversing the order of finish in the conference during the 2008-09 season.  You can see the first round by clicking here.

11th pick overall – Northern Iowa – Dinma Odiakosa – 6'8" F (Sr.) – The Panthers brass decided to overload on seniors early, and selected the best interior defender in the league. Odiakosa wasn't much of a threat on the offensive end, posting an average of 8.7 points per game, but he shot 65.9% in league play and averaged 7.5 rebounds per night. The Nigerian import was the model of consistency, corralling six or more rebounds in 17 of his 21 games against league opponents. Combined with Harry Marshall, Northern Iowa will field a dangerous, experienced team.

12th pick overall – Creighton – Clevin Hannah – 5'11" G (Sr.) – Recognizing that 18 players would be selected before his next pick, Coach Dana Altman reaches for the best floor leader left in the draft. Hannah excelled in his first year in the MVC, averaging 11.2 points and 4.3 assists per game, and improved his defensive game as the season went on, thieving opponents 1.7 times per night in league play. The scrawny guard shot 40.5% from three-point distance, and everyone knows Coach Altman likes bombers.

13th pick overall – Illinois State – Jordan Eglseder – 7'1" C (Sr.) – The largest man in the league will patrol the lane for the Redbirds, and he brings his 10.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game with him. The Bellevue, Iowa native averaged 13.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per contest in his last nine regular season games, and if he could stay on the floor for 25 minutes every game, he should blossom into a 15-10 player. Coach Tim Jankovich is banking on that happening this season, Eglseder's last year of eligibility.

14th pick overall – Bradley – Carlton Fay – 6'8" F (Jr.) – The inside-outside game comparable to former Bradley star Marcellus Sommerville is what persuaded Coach Jim Les to pick Fay. He poured in 10.4 points and grabbed 4.6 rebounds per game last season, and his shooting improved dramatically from his dismal freshman season. Fay will team with Andrew Warren to give the Braves two solid juniors, and good size on the perimeter.

15th pick overall – Southern Illinois – Jake Kelly – 6'6" G (Jr.) – Kelly transferred from Iowa after personal issues caused him to move back to his home state of Indiana. The NCAA has yet to rule on the special exception filed by Kelly to gain eligibility in 2009-10, and if he is able to suit up this season, he could be the steal of the draft. Kelly averaged 11.6 points per game last year, but exploded onto the national scene during the last month of the Big Ten season, when he posted averages of 19.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists over his last eight games.

16th pick overall – Evansville – Kenny Lawson, Jr – 6'9" F (Jr.) – Sensing a severe shortage of bigs, Coach Marty Simmons grabs Lawson and gushes about how his defense is shaping up. The Oceanside, California product posted averages of just 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, but his 1.6 blocks per night led the league and he was named to the All-MVC Defensive Team last season. With two years of eligibility left, there is still time for Lawson to develop into a good offensive player. In the meantime, he'll pair with Kwadzo Ahelegbe to shut down opponents inside and out.

17th pick overall – Wichita State – J.T. Durley – 6'7" F (Jr.) – Durley doesn't have terrifically notable numbers, but his game improved tremendously over the course of last season. During his final 15 games, the tall Texan averaged 10.9 points and 1.3 blocks per game on 53.4% shooting. His defense has improved and he has the potential to be an All-MVC selection over the next two seasons.

18th pick overall – Indiana State – Johnny Moran – 6'1" G (So.) – Combined with Kevin Dillard, the Sycamores have the most dangerous young backcourt in the league. Moran was named to the All-MVC Freshman Team last season by averaging 8.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. He struggled with his shot, but started all 34 games last year and gained valuable experience. Moran will get much better as he gains more confidence in his outside shot.

19th pick overall – Drake – Tony Freeman – 6'1" G (Sr.) – Freeman sat out the 2008-09 season under eligibility rules after he left Iowa following his junior season. During the 2007-08 campaign, he averaged 13.8 points per game and was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team. Freeman has the ability to light up the scoreboard at any point in the game, and he will complement the all-around abilities of Osiris Eldridge to form a sound backcourt for Coach Mark Phelps.

20th pick overall – Missouri State – Sam Maniscalco – 6'0" G (Jr.) – As the season progressed, Maniscalco became a dangerous scorer playing both the point and shooting guard positions. He posted an average of 15.7 points per game over the last 12 games of the campaign, and his floor leadership will help Coach Cuonzo Martin keep P'Allen Stinnett under control. He can be counted on late in games, as the Chicago native missed just six of his 64 free throw attempts in league play.