Valparaiso University men’s basketball sophomore Donovan Clay (Alton, Ill. / Alton) has been named to the 2020-2021 Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Second Team, as announced by the league office on Thursday.
After scoring in double figures just once over his first seven games in 2019-2020, Clay did so in 18 of the next 28. He had seven or more rebounds in 10 of the season’s final 21 games after reaching that mark just once in the first 14 contests. Clay’s clear progression from the season’s early stages to its climactic conclusion helped the Alton, Ill. native land on the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman Team.
Clay was one of two Valpo players to compete in all 35 games in 2019-20 and made 33 starts during his freshman campaign. He finished third on the team in scoring (9.4 ppg) and second in rebounding (4.6 rpg) while leading the team in blocked shots with 36. He started conference play sixth on the team at 7.8 points per game, then scored 10.9 per game in Valley action, third on the squad.
The Valley also released its 2020-21 preseason poll on Tuesday, with Valpo projected eighth based upon a survey of the league’s head coaches, media members and sports information directors.
FIRST TEAM
Elijah Childs, Bradley
AJ Green, UNI
Tyreke Key, Indiana State
Cameron Krutwig, Loyola
Austin Phyfe, UNI
SECOND TEAM
Donovan Clay, Valparaiso
Marcus Domask, Southern Illinois
Jake LaRavia, Indiana State
Roman Penn, Drake
Gaige Prim, Missouri State
THIRD TEAM
Trae Berhow, UNI
Keith Fisher III, Illinois State
Tate Hall, Loyola
Marquise Kennedy, Loyola
Tremell Murphy, Drake
Preseason Player of the Year – AJ Green, UNI
Preseason Poll
1. UNI (30), 426
2. Loyola (13), 405
3. Bradley (1), 341
4. Indiana State, 282
5. Southern Illinois, 235
6. Missouri State, 210
7. Drake, 207
8. Valparaiso, 148
9. Illinois State, 112
10. Evansville, 54