ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Illinois State men's basketball team earned a pair of Missouri Valley Conference Weekly Awards, as freshman Johnny Kinziger was named the MVC Player of the Week, while Myles Foster earned MVC Newcomer of the Week.
For Kinziger, it is his second conference award, as he was the conference Freshman of the Week on January 29, while Foster earned Newcomer of the Week on January 2.
The De Pere, Wisconsin, native scored an MVC-high 49 points in two games on the week, including a career-high 31 against 23rd-ranked Indiana State before following with 18 points at home in a win against Evansville. He made 69.6 percent of his shots on the week – another MVC-high on the week – and converted on 6-of-9 from long range and 11-of-12 from the charity stripe. He also dished out eight assists on the week with eight rebounds, three steals, and a blocked shot.
He started the week with a career-high 31-point scoring effort against the Sycamores, as he made 10-of-12 shots from the field and 2-of-3 from long range. Entering the Sunday game he was one of just 15 freshman in NCAA Division I to score 30 or more points in a game, and the only one to do it on the road against a ranked opponent. His 31 points on just 12 shots has him as one of seven players to score 31 or more points while needing a dozen or fewer attempts from the field. He came back with 18 points on Sunday against Evansville, while dishing out a career-high seven assists with two steals, four rebounds, a blocked shot and just one turnover. He was 6-of-11 from the field against the Aces, while tying a career-high with four made three-point field goals on six attempts, while making both of his free throw tries.
Kinziger averages 7.7 points per game on the year. He is the only freshman in the country to have a field goal percentage of at least .475, a three-point percentage of at least .395, and a free throw percentage of at least .850 with 200 or more points scored. He has pulled down 59 rebounds while giving out 45 assists and grabbing 24 steals through his 27 games played this season.
Over the two games, Foster – from Brooklyn, New York – averaged 19.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game for the Redbirds in a 2-0 week. He made 64.3 percent of his shots from the field (18-of-28), and all three of his free throw tries. He also added two steals and a blocked shot.
His week opened with a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double on the road at 23rd-ranked Indiana State, where he converted on 8-of-13 shots from the field, while giving out a trio of assists. He followed up that performance with a 20-point, eight-rebound, four-assist effort against Evansville, hitting on a career-high 10 baskets on just 15 attempts. He also picked up a pair of steals against the Aces with a steal. His eight rebounds has pushed Foster to third in the conference in rebounds per game, and ranks ninth on the season in field goal percentage.
On the season Foster averages 12.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He has made 125-of-237 field goal attempts (52.7%) and 72-of-114 free throws. His 18 blocked shots are most on the team, as he also has 20 steals.
The Redbirds have four games remaining in the 2023-24 regular season, including the first game of the stretch at home on Wednesday, February 21.
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