The college basketball season is a quarter of the way done, and there have been standout performances for both the men’s and women’s teams.

For the first time in the history of The Shield, we have decided to give out awards to players who have represented USI and the grit that goes into sports.

As the season stands, we’ve decided to have early predictions going into winter break. 

Most Valuable Player:

The Most Valuable Player award is given to the player with the most significant positive impact on their team. This can be a lockdown defender or a sharpshooter, but they have to be the person who contributes the most to team success.

Men’s Most Valuable Player: Jelani Simmons

The MVP of the men’s team so far is Jelani Simmons, senior guard, who leads the team in points per game. Simmons has had an incredibly well-rounded game with 14.8 points per game 3.3 rebounds per game and 1.9 assists per game. 

His counting stats are not the only impressive part of his offensive skill set. Simmons is shooting 49.5% which is extremely efficient for a player whose game is not reliant on post-play. Simmons is also shooting 36.2 from behind the arc with the second-highest number of attempts. 

Offense is not the only side of the court Simmons has shined in this season. He holds his own on the defensive side. Simmons averages 1.1 steals, putting him third on the team in steals per game. Simmons is a pest on the defensive side of the court with his length and athleticism. Opposing teams look to avoid taking him one on one.

Women’s Most Valuable Player: Hannah Haithcock

The MVP for the women’s team was a difficult decision, but ultimately we decided on Hannah Haithcock, senior forward, who has been a pillar of this team for many years now. Haithcock provides a very well-rounded post presence with 14 points per game on 49.3%efficiency.

Haithcock is also a defensive force with 0.7 blocks and 1.2 steals per game, putting her second on the team in blocks and sixth on the team in blocks.

This combination of offense and defense on a team that notoriously plays out of the post makes Haithcock invaluable to the team’s success. 

Defensive Player of the Year:

The Defensive Player of the Year is an NBA award that determines who is the best defender in the league. This award has been dominated by centers due to their direct impact that can be seen on the box score in the form of blocks. 

Men’s Defensive Player of the Year: Kiyron Powell

The DPOY for the men’s team so far this season has been Kiyron Powell, freshman center, who has been a defensive pillar in the paint. Powell leads the team with 1.9 blocks per game, 1.5 more than the second-closest player. 

These 1.9 blocks per game come with only averaging 13.3 minutes per game. These numbers will surely increase throughout the season as Powell grows more into his offensive skill set, but these block numbers have been wildly impressive. 

Women’s Defensive Player of the Year: Vanessa Shafford

Vanessa Shafford, sophomore guard, is the DPOY so far for the women’s team. Shafford leads the team in steals per game with 2.5, but not all of her defensive impact can be seen in a box score. 

Defense-centered guards are incredibly important in the current three-point-centric game of basketball. Shafford is great at shot contention, causing opposing players to not shoot from behind the arc while being guarded by her. 

Shafford only being a sophomore means she still has multiple years to develop her game to be a better post defender as well. Obviously not with post players, but there is an extensive number of college guards who are able to post up smaller guards and score in the paint with ease. Shafford has the physicality needed to deter players from trying this against her.

Sixth Man of the Year:

The Sixth Man of the Year is an award that puts a spotlight on a player coming off of a team’s bench and significantly impacts the team. This is mostly given to players who come off the bench and have an incredible scoring ability and can be a “spark plug” off the bench, providing much-needed energy to a team.

Men’s Sixth Man of the Year: Tyler Henry

The SMOY so far for the men’s team is Tyler Henry, junior guard, who has come off the bench in four of the eight games this season. He will not be eligible for this award for much longer, but his overall play has elevated him to a starting spot. 

Henry has been the ideal sixth man when he comes off the bench, coming into the game and breathing life into a team eight to 10 minutes into the first half. Henry is third on the team in points per game at 10.5 while shooting 44.3% from the field and 37.8 from three.

Presumably, Henry will not be the sixth man for much longer as he has started four consecutive games. We also want to shine a spotlight on Jack Campion, freshman guard, who does not have the offensive production off the bench but does provide the spark plug element with his defense, averaging a steal a game in 12.8 minutes.

Women’s Sixth Man of the Year: Meredith Raley

Meredith Raley, junior forward, was an obvious choice for the women’s SMOY. Raley is in the same situation as Henry, where she has played herself into a starting spot the last three games so she will not qualify for this award soon.

Raley is the team’s leading scorer with 15.8 points per game on an impressive 49.2%. She has provided the perfect mixture of offense and defense coming off the bench, as she averages 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. For a team that is so defensively focused, Raley is a shining example of what a sixth man should be. 

Breakout Player of the Year:

The Breakout Player of the Year is an award given to a player who has massively improved their game this season. This award should be given to a player who has made a massive jump in their basketball abilities, or one who has come into the program and been crucial to team success.

Men’s Breakout Player: Gary Solomon

The Breakout Player of the Year so far this season is Gary Solomon, junior guard, who has played a pivotal role in the team’s success after transferring from Henry Ford Community College. Even though Solomon’s counting stats have taken a dip since transferring, he has fit directly into his role on this team.

Solomon is averaging 10 points per game to go along with 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists. The team had a glaring hole that needed to be filled this offseason with a consistent third guard to go along with Simmons and Henry, and Solomon has filled that role perfectly and has been a statistical leader for this team.

Women’s Breakout Player: Soffia Rieckers

Soffia Rieckers, the senior guard, is the women’s breakout player of the year this season as she has seen statistical improvements in almost every category. Rieckers has stepped right into the hole left by Addy Blackwell, senior guard, who has been injured so far this season.

Rieckers has always been a player with high intensity on both ends of the floor, but now she is getting the playing time to showcase how well she can really play. While her stats still might not jump off the page, she is still leading the team in assists per game at 3.3 and has done exactly what the team needs in getting the ball to the post and playing defense.

Both the men’s and women’s teams play over the semester break. Follow along with the men’s team here. Follow along with the women’s team here.