Wichita State’s Fred VanVleet played in his 12th game on Wednesday at Missouri State, making him eligible for national and Missouri Valley Conference statistical lists. Athletes must play in 75 percent of their team’s games to qualify.
He debuts at No. 44 nationally with an average of 5.3 assists. That puts him second in the MVC, behind Northern Iowa’s Wes Washpun (5.7). VanVleet leads the MVC in steals at 1.8 and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6).
So VanVleet is officially back in the race for a rare MVC triple.
He can join three others as MVC players to lead the conference in assists three seasons. He can join a list of 12 athletes who led a major statistical category (scoring, rebounding, assists, blocks) three or more times. Evansville’s D.J. Balentine (scoring) and Egidijus Mockevicius (rebounding) can also lead a category for a third time (Had Reggie Lynch not transferred from Illinois State to Minnesota, he had a shot to join them in blocks).
The trend is good for VanVleet, who in the past five games averages 6.8 assists to Washpun’s 4.2.
Perhaps unfairly, assist-to-turnover ratio isn’t a stat that gets as much publicity. VanVleet can add a third title there, as well. He led the MVC in assist-to-turnover ratio the past two seasons — 4.0 in 2013-14 and 3.1 in 204-15.
Naturally, the list of athletes on the list represent the top of the MVC — Oscar Robertson (scoring), Larry Bird (scoring), Wes Unseld (rebounding) and Xavier McDaniel (rebounding).
MVC athletes with three assists titles
Name | School | Seasons | Assists | Average |
Jim Les | Bradley | 1983-84 | 158 | 7.1 |
Jim Les | Bradley | 1984-85 | 263 | 8.7 |
Jim Les | Bradley | 1985-86 | 275 | 7.8 |
Anthony Manuel | Bradley | 1986-87 | 237 | 8.7 |
Anthony Manuel | Bradley | 1987-88 | 373 | 12.0 |
Anthony Manuel | Bradley | 1988-89 | 216 | 8.0 |
Jamar Smiley | Illinois State | 1995-96 | 208 | 6.7 |
Jamar Smiley | Illinois State | 1996-97 | 219 | 7.3 |
Jamar Smiley | Illinois State | 1997-98 | 186 | 6.4 |
VanVleet’s past two seasons
Name | School | Seasons | Assists | Average |
Fred VanVleet | Wichita State | 2013-14 | 193 | 5.3 |
Fred VanVleet | Wichita State | 2014-15 | 183 | 5.2 |
Wichita State athletes with three MVC rebounding titles.
Name | School | Seasons | Rebounds | Average |
Bob Elmore | Wichita State | 1974-75 | 302 | 11.6 |
Bob Elmore | Wichita State | 1975-76 | 275 | 10.2 |
Bob Elmore | Wichita State | 1976-77 | 441 | 15.8 |
Xavier McDaniel | Wichita State | 1982-83 | 403 | 14.4 |
Xavier McDaniel | Wichita State | 1983-84 | 393 | 13.1 |
Xavier McDaniel | Wichita State | 1984-85 | 460 | 14.8 |
Paul Suellentrop: 316-269-6760, @paulsuellentrop
Comments