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