Born earns Second Team All-MVC honors, Duax selected to All-Freshman squad

ST. LOUIS --- The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) announced its men's basketball all-conference teams on Wednesday night during its annual awards banquet with a pair of Panthers earning season honors.

Sophomore guard Bowen Born was selected to the All-MVC Second Team, while freshman forward Michael Duax was named to the conference's All-Freshman Team, as voted on by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media.

Drake's Tucker DeVries was named the Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year, with Belmont's Cade Tyson earning Freshman of the Year honors. Indiana State's Courvoiser McCauley was picked as this year's MVC Newcomer of the Year, as Ja'Shon Henry of Bradley picked up Sixth Man of the Year recognition. Brian Wardle of Bradley was named MVC Coach of the Year.

Born, who was named MVC Sixth Man of the Year last season and Freshman of the Year in 2021, led the Panthers with 17.2 points per game on 41.3% shooting. Selected to the Preseason Second Team All-MVC back in October, the Norwalk, Iowa native started all 30 games for UNI during his third season for the purple and gold, leading the league in made free throws (127) and free throw attempts (153).

Scoring in double-digit figures in 24 of 30 games this season, Born notched a career-high 30 points against Northern Illinois in November, and matched his high-water mark in early February in a double overtime game at Drake. Born also made a pair of three-point buzzer-beaters in UNI's road game at Drake, forcing two overtime periods in one of the most thrilling games of the season. A top-five shooter in the MVC, he was also named to the Field of 68 Almanac's MVC Preseason Breakout Player and Second Team All-Conference.

Duax, who earned MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team honors on Monday, recorded 9.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in his first season on the floor for UNI while shooting 56.1%. The Dubuque, Iowa native recorded the second most points scored by an MVC freshman with 293, and ranks second among Panther rebounders with 142 boards. Notching a career-high 21 points in a win at UIC in January, Duax ranks 12th in the league with three double-doubles this year, as well as 13th in total steals (38). Duax also earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District recognition last month.

Born, Duax and the Panthers open up the 2023 MVC Men's Basketball Tournament on Thursday afternoon against the Illinois State Redbirds at 12 p.m. CT on Thursday at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

2023 MVC First Team All-Conference

Tucker DeVries (Drake)
Marcus Domask (Southern Illinois)
Ben Krikke (Valparaiso)
Rienk Mast (Bradley)
Roman Penn (Drake)
Ben Sheppard (Belmont)

2023 MVC Second Team All-Conference

Bowen Born (UNI)
Jace Carter (UIC)
Donovan Clay (Missouri State)
Malevy Leons (Bradley)
Courvoisier McCauley (Indiana State)

2023 MVC Third Team All-Conference

Cameron Henry (Indiana State)
Lance Jones (Southern Illinois)
Rob Perry (Murray State)
Kenny Strawbridge (Evansville)
Garrett Sturtz (Drake)

All-Freshman Team

Robbie Avila (Indiana State)
Michael Duax (UNI)
Conor Enright (Drake)
Ja'Kobi Gillespie (Belmont)
Cade Tyson (Belmont)

All-Newcomer Team

Duke Deen (Bradley)
Drew Friberg (Belmont)
Courvoisier McCauley (Indiana State)
Rob Perry (Murray State)
Cade Tyson (Belmont)

All-Defensive Team

Donovan Clay (Missouri State)
Xavier Johnson (Southern Illinois)
Lance Jones (Southern Illinois)
Julian Larry (Indiana State)
Malevy Leons (Bradley)
Ben Sheppard (Belmont)

All-Bench Team (announced on Tuesday)

Ja'Shon Henry (Bradley)
Sardaar Calhoun (Drake)
Ja'Kobi Gillespie (Belmont)
Chance Moore (Missouri State)
Landon Wolf (UNI)

Most Improved Team (announced on Tuesday)

Tytan Anderson (UNI)
Darnell Brodie (Drake)
Ben Krikke (Valparaiso)
Malevy Leons (Bradley)
Zek Montgomery (Bradley)

MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team (announced on Monday)

Marcus Domask (Southern Illinois)
Michael Duax (UNI)
Ben Krikke (Valparaiso)
Rienk Mast (Bradley)
Filip Skobalj (UIC)

MVC Scholar-Athlete Second Team (announced on Monday)

Trent Brown (Southern Illinois)
Trenton Gibson (Indiana State)
Connor Hickman (Bradley)
Cade McKnight (Indiana State)
Derek Sabin (Belmont)

MVC Scholar-Athlete Third Team (announced on Monday)

Quincy Anderson (Murray State)
James Betz (UNI)
Conor Enright (Drake)
Antonie Smith Jr. (Illinois State)
Isaiah Walker (Belmont)
Landon Wolf (UNI)

Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year
Tucker DeVries (Drake)

Newcomer of the Year
Courvoisier McCauley (Indiana State)

Freshman of the Year
Cade Tyson (Belmont)

Defensive Player of the Year
Malevy Leons (Bradley)

Sixth Man of the Year
Ja'Shon Henry (Belmont)

Most Improved Team Captain
Tytan Anderson (UNI)

MVC Scholar-Athlete of Year
Marcus Domask (Southern Illinois)

MVC Coach of the Year
Brian Wardle (Belmont)

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