It’s a freshman first
Freshman Rodney Stuckey, who could already be called the best Eastern Washington basketball player ever, added to his bulging resume when he was named the Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player and a unanimous all-league pick.
It is the first time in the 27 years of the award a freshman was named MVP.
Oh, yeah, he is the Freshman of the Year, too.
“It’s a great honor but if it wasn’t for my teammates I wouldn’t be in this position,” the 6-foot-4 point guard from Kent, Wash., said. “They’re getting me the ball, we’re winning. To me it’s a team award.”
Deuce Smith, the lone senior for the Eagles, and junior Paul Butorac earned honorable mention honors.
Stuckey led the league in scoring from the start of the season and then poured in a school record 45 points in his first conference game, the highest output by a freshman in the 43-year history of the league.
He ended the regular season with a school and league freshman record 23.6 average, which is ninth in the nation and eighth-best in league history. His current total of 662 points, 36 more than the previous Eastern record, is the 11th-best season total in league history.
Going into Saturday’s game at Reese Court against Portland State, Stuckey has been the leading scorer for Eastern (14-14) in 25 straight games and has scored in double figures every game.
Playing point for the first time, Stuckey also averaged 4.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals. He set a school record for free throws (210) and free throws made (159).
“It’s a tremendous honor and Rodney is very deserving,” Eastern head coach Mike Burns said. “It speaks volumes of not only Rodney but the progress our team has made as well.”
Stuckey, who sat out last year as an academic non-qualifier, was recently selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII first team and was the first Eagle to be picked on the NABC All-District 13 first team.
“The academic work he had to do to get back on the basketball floor are things we’re probably even more proud of,” Burns said.
“It is remarkable for him to be away from the game for that long and accomplish the things he’s done this season. It says a lot of him not only as a player but as a person.”