Bradley University Athletics

Bar and Brown Earn MVC All-Freshman Honors

Bob Hunt - Photographer

Men's Basketball 2/28/2017 10:12:00 AM

Koch Bar and Darrell Brown of the Bradley men's basketball team were honored as two of the best rookies in the Missouri Valley Conference on Tuesday, earning MVC All-Freshman accolades.

Brown is the top-scoring rookie in the conference this season, averaging 12.5 points per game, which also ranks as the 15th-best total among all players in the MVC. He is on pace to be the first Bradley freshman to average double digits during his rookie campaign since eventual NBA Draft Pick Patrick O'Bryant accomplished the feat in 2004-05, while his 12.5 points are the most by a BU freshman since Phillip Gilbert in 2000-01.

Overall, Brown's 374 points are the fifth-most in program history by a freshman, while the Memphis, Tenn., native also leads the Braves with 85 assists this season. Brown is the fourth rookie in school history with 300 points and 75 assists – joining Hersey Hawkins (1984-85), Anthony Parker (1993-94) and Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye (2015-16).

The freshman leader in rebounding and blocks in the MVC, Bar has appeared in all 31 games during his rookie campaign, averaging 6.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. Ranking fourth in the MVC among all players in blocks, Bar's 37 total rejections are the third-most by a Bradley freshman in school history – trailing only O'Bryant (2004-05) and Danny Granger (2001-02). Overall, Bar has led the Braves in boards in 12 games this season – the second-best total on the team.

Brown and Bar are the third and fourth rookies in the last two seasons to earn MVC All-Freshman Team accolades – double the total of any other school in the conference during that time (Missouri State and Wichita State rank second with two).

The duo now turns their attention toward the postseason as the Braves begin the 2017 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday. Winners of three-straight games to finish the regular season, Bradley earned the seven seed for Arch Madness and opens with No. 10 Drake at 8:30 p.m. The winner advances to play second-seeded and 21st-ranked Wichita State on Friday with a 6 p.m. start at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

Print Friendly Version