ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Illinois State sophomore forward Chase Walker has been named the Captain of the Most Improved Team, while Jack Daugherty earned All-Bench Team honors, announced by the Missouri Valley Conference office on Tuesday afternoon.
Walker joins an illustrious group of former Redbirds who have been named the Most Improved Team Captain, including Antonio Reeves, MiKyle McIntosh, Levi Dyer, Marcus Arnold, and Rico Hill.
This season Walker leads the Redbirds in scoring (15.1) and rebounding (6.0), while making 58.1 percent of his shots from the field – second-most in the MVC. Walker has seen all his primary stats improve, including points per game (3.2 – to – 15.1), rebounds per game (2.1 – to – 6.0), while his assists have raised by 56 (7 – to – 63), blocks (4 – to – 8), and steals (6 – to – 19). And his field goal percentage has raised from .529 to .581. Walker hit double-figure scoring totals 22 times, reaching 20 or more points on nine occaÂsions. Walker had two double-doubles this year and notched his season-best point total at UIC, when he scored 31 points with nine rebounds for the Birds.
Daugherty has played in 29 games this season with just two starts and is averaging 6.8 points per game. He has made 56 three-point baskets this season, which is tied for the fourth-most in a season by a Redbird freshman in program history, and he is second in the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage among student-athletes with at least 50 made three-point field goals. Additionally, Daugherty is on pace to become just the sixth freshman in the NCAA since 2014-15 to have made at least 50 three-point field goals while making at least half of his tries.
Walker and Daugherty join Johnny Kinziger, Landon Wolf, and Dalton Banks as MVC Award recipients, as the trio were named to the All-Scholar-Athlete squad, announced on Monday morning.
The Redbirds (18-13 overall, 10-10 MVC) are back in action on Thursday afternoon, when the squad faces off against the Missouri State Bears in the opening round of the 2025 Missouri Valley Tournament, with tip-off slated for 2:30 p.m.
Previous Most-Improved Team Recipients
2021-22 – Antonio Reeves (team captain)
2016-17 – Deontae Hawkins
2015-16 – MiKyle McIntosh (team captain)
2012-13 – Johnny Hill
2011-12 – Jackie Carmichael
2009-10 – Dinma Odiakosa
2008-09 – Emmanuel Holloway
2006-07 – Levi Dyer (team captain)
2005-06 – Greg Dilligard
2003-04 – Marcus Arnold (team captain)
2001-02 – Randy Rice
2000-01 – Shawn Jeppson
1999-00 – Shawn Jeppson
1996-97 – Rico Hill (team captain)
1995-96 – Jamar Smiley
1994-95 – Brian Kern
Previous All-Bench Team Recipients
2023-24 – Johnny Kinziger
2022-23 – Landon Wolf (while at Northern Iowa)
2019-20 – Antonio Reeves
2016-17 – DJ Clayton
2015-16 – Nick Banyard
2014-15 – Bobby Hunter
2011-12 – Bryant Allen
2009-10 – Austin Hill
2008-09 – Brandon Sampay
2007-08 – Emmanuel Holloway
2004-05 – Neil Plank
2003-04 – Trey Guidry (team captain)
1997-98 – Kyle Cartmill
1996-97 – Steve Hansell (team captain)
1995-96 – Antonio Cooper
1994-95 – Chad Altadonna (team captain), Marcus Franklin
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