ST. LOUIS – Illinois State University junior Milik Yarbrough has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year in a poll of coaches, media members, and sports information directors.
Yarbrough becomes the sixth player in program history to have earned Newcomer of the Year honors, joining Reggie Wilson (1991), Tarise Bryson (1999), Lorenzo Gordon (2005), Champ Oguchi (2009), and DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (2015).
The Zion, Illinois, native leads the Redbirds in scoring (16.7 ppg), assists (4.8 apg), and is second in rebounding (6.6 rpg). He is the only student-athlete in the country, and is on pace to be just the 11th since 1992-93, to average at least 16.7 points, 4.8 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game in a season. He is also one of three student-athletes in the country to rank inside of the top five of his conference in points, rebounds, and assists.
He has scored over 20 points 12 times, and has six double-doubles on the season. He came two assists away from a triple double in the team's overtime win at Ole Miss on December 16, and set a new career scoring high a game earlier with 30 points at home against current OVC leader Murray State on December 9. Over his last 10 games he has dished out at least five assists nine times, while grabbing at least six rebounds in every game during that stretch.
The Redbirds are 16-14 this season and are the third seed for the upcoming MVC Tournament. The third place finish represents the fifth consecutive season that Illinois State has bettered its preseason poll prediction. ISU faces off against Indiana State in the quarterfinal round of the MVC Tournament on Friday evening with a scheduled 8:30 p.m. tip-off at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
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