Bradley University Athletics

Roberts Highlights All-Valley Selections; Earns Newcomer of the Year & First-Team Honors

Men's Basketball 3/1/2022 10:00:00 AM

Three Bradley men's basketball student-athletes were honored by the Missouri Valley Conference on Tuesday as the league announced its postseason award winners.

Junior Terry Roberts had an immediate impact on the Braves in his first year on campus and highlighted the program's accolades – becoming the seventh player in school history to collect Valley Newcomer of the Year honors, while also being the first Brave in 11 seasons to be named to the All-MVC First Team.

Sophomore Rienk Mast joined Roberts as an all-conference honoree – earning third-team accolades – while Connor Hickman was named to the MVC All-Freshman Team.

Roberts is the first Brave to earn Missouri Valley Newcomer of the Year honors since Marcellus Sommerville collected the accolade in 2004, while joining a list that also includes Seymour Reed (1972), Jim Caruthers (1973), Mitchell Anderson (1979), Hersey Hawkins (1985) and Dion Thurman (1989). Roberts is also the first Brave to be named to the All-Valley First Team since Andrew Warren in 2010-11, while becoming the fourth in school history to earn the honor in his first year on campus – joining Chet Walker (1960), Curtis Stuckey (1990) and Sommerville (2004).

A junior-college transfer from Florida SouthWestern State, Roberts leads Bradley with 14.4 points, 4.2 assists and 1.53 steals in his first year in the Red & White. He ranks 11th overall in the Valley in scoring, second in assists and second in steals, while also adding 5.0 rebounds per game. Roberts was named MVC Newcomer of the Week on four occasions this season, while also collecting Player of the Week honors after earning Sun Bowl MVP accolades in December.

One of only two underclassmen on any of the three Valley all-conference teams, Mast leads all players in the conference with 8.3 rebounds per game. He is on target to become just the fourth player in Bradley's history to lead the league in rebounding (70 years in the conference) as his 8.3 boards are currently the most by a Brave since NBA Lottery Pick Patrick O'Bryant in 2005-06. The sophomore also scores 11.6 points per game – leading BU with 13.9 points during conference play – while ranking second on the team in blocks (28) and third in assists (43).

Overall, it marks the fourth time in the last five seasons that Bradley has featured at least two All-Valley selections.

Hickman becomes the seventh Brave in seven seasons under Coach Brian Wardle to earn MVC All-Freshman Team accolades – two more than any other team in the league during that span. The rookie ranks second among all freshmen in the conference with 6.7 points and 32 made 3-pointers, while also serving as one the team's top perimeter defenders.

The Braves now turn their attention toward the postseason as Bradley opens the 2022 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Friday against Loyola. Tipoff at Enterprise Center between the last four combined Arch Madness champions is set for approximately 2:30 p.m.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#51 Rienk Mast: F; 6' 9"; Sophomore

#10 Connor Hickman: G; 6' 3"; Freshman

#0 Terry Roberts: G; 6' 3"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#51 Rienk Mast
: 6' 9"; Sophomore
: F

#10 Connor Hickman
: 6' 3"; Freshman
: G

#0 Terry Roberts
: 6' 3"; Junior
: G

Roberts Highlights All-Valley Selections; Earns Newcomer of the Year & First-Team Honors

Players Mentioned

#51 Rienk Mast

#10 Connor Hickman

#0 Terry Roberts

Players Mentioned

#51 Rienk Mast

#10 Connor Hickman

#0 Terry Roberts