2015 MVCfans.com - post season awards and honors

[bleach]

IMO, Cotton is the best defender i've ever seen in the Valley. I'm not saying he's the best ever, just that i've seen. That does cover a long time (since 1990).

[ShoxNAwe]

I think Cotton is the best defender I've seen period. That's nearly 40 years of hoops. Even after 4 years, I am still amazed at how quickly he flings his body into a passing lane and then springs back into perfect defensive position if he doesn't get the steal or deflection. There is no stat for 'disruptive force' but if there was, he would lead the basketball universe, not just the MVC.

[mvcfan]

Cotton, unlike anyone else we've mentioned can guard a 6' PG and guard a 6'7 forward. He is the most versatile defensive player I've ever seen.

[bigdawg]

I posted Part 1 of my post season honors today: COY, NOY, FOY, DPOY.

Two very difficult choices and two not so much.


link: MVCfans.com 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Awards and Honors – Part 1

Should it concern us as a league that of all the freshman and newcomers that there really wasn't anyone who you can project out as a future star?

[Khan4Cats]

Cotton, unlike anyone else we've mentioned can guard a 6' PG and guard a 6'7 forward. He is the most versatile defensive player I've ever seen.

It was interesting that Cotton couldn't handle Washpun in Cedar Falls and in Wichita was switched to guarding Bohannon/Jesperson and Van Vleet was on the UNI pgs.

That's not saying he isn't a great defender. He certainly deserves DPOY again and I would consider him for first team all-conference as well because of it. Just an observation.

As for greatest of all time, I don't know. There were some pretty salty defenders at SIU back in the day. Individually good, collectively unreal. How much was always legal and ethical, well....

[BCPanther]

Darren Brooks was a better defender than Cotton.

No that Cotton isn't great, he is. Lets back off on the hyperbole a little...

[Cdizzle]

Darren Brooks lost a lot of his defensive effectiveness when he had to sell his saddle.

[Wufan]

Cotton, unlike anyone else we've mentioned can guard a 6' PG and guard a 6'7 forward. He is the most versatile defensive player I've ever seen.

It was interesting that Cotton couldn't handle Washpun in Cedar Falls and in Wichita was switched to guarding Bohannon/Jesperson and Van Vleet was on the UNI pgs.

That's not saying he isn't a great defender. He certainly deserves DPOY again and I would consider him for first team all-conference as well because of it. Just an observation.

As for greatest of all time, I don't know. There were some pretty salty defenders at SIU back in the day. Individually good, collectively unreal. How much was always legal and ethical, well....

This is true. I hadn't seen Cotton struggle defensively EVER the way he did against Washpun in CF.

[MVCfans]

I thought Cotton should have been first team last year and got hosed - you can still read my writeup from last season. How he wasn't first team this year is inexplicable. Frankly, I think I got it right:

link: MVCfans.com 2015 Missouri Valley Conference POY and All-MVC teams

[PantherSigEp]

I thought Cotton should have been first team last year and got hosed - you can still read my writeup from last season. How he wasn't first team this year is inexplicable. Frankly, I think I got it right:

link: MVCfans.com 2015 Missouri Valley Conference POY and All-MVC teams

I think you absolutely nailed it. DJ Ballentine is not one of the Top 5 all-around players in the conference. Top 5 offensively, maybe. Overall? Absolutely not. It was a hot debate last year, and he actually got worse (statistically) this year.

I'm also glad to see that Wes was acknowledged as a 2nd team player. If Ballentine can be 1st team (undeservedly) for shooting 42% and grabbing just over 3 rebounds and 3 assists (to go along with mediocre defense at best) then Wes deserves 2nd team for shooting 48.5% and grabbing just under 3 rebounds and 3 assists and playing All-Valley defense (IMO). Boy cherry picking stats is wonderful

Final thought, we can debate who's better defensively between UNI and WSU and I know UNI fans are flabbergasted that Jeremy Morgan and Wes Washpun are not on that list, but I have a hard time arguing with it.