Statistically, it’s hard to argue against Missouri State forward Alize Johnson’s claim to the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year award.
The 6-foot-9 senior, chosen by the league’s media as the preseason Player of the Year, has delivered, averaging 15.2 points and 11.6 rebounds. Those are impressive numbers despite pedestrian shooting percentages of .429 from the field and .285 from 3-point range.
But his coach, Paul Lusk, is a straight-up guy. Many coaches would lobby hard for their guy to win such a prestigious award. Not so with Lusk, whose team has had a disappointing season after being picked to win the league.