Southwestern Conference: All Conference and MVP

As our next preview article about the Southwestern Conference I am going to make my picks for All Conference players and even though the conference doesn’t name an MVP, I will make my selection. While it again does not follow the format of the conference, I will name 5 All Conference players and pick an MVP as the 6th. Here we go. <ul> <li>All Conference selection, <strong>Quierra Love</strong> , 5'5 Junior guard from Edwardsville. The junior is fun to watch when she is in the open floor. Not only is she fast in a straight line, she is agile enough to change directions without losing much speed. Que has played the role of a facilitator during her first two years in the program. If the Tigers are going to continue the level of success they have become used to recently, she will need to be more of a scorer and a vocal leader. Her outside shot is developing nicely and with her ability to get to basket she just needs to finish consistently and she will have no trouble increasing her scoring output into double figures.</li> <li>All Conference selection, <strong>Izzy Akoro </strong>, a 6'2 Senior forward from O'Fallon. Izzy was only able to play 6 games her junior season and now she is making her comeback from the knee injury.  At 6’2 she can handle the ball and shoot the outside shot like very few players. She handles the ball like a guard and has great instincts as a passer and shot blocker. She is still rounding her game and her body back into shape but should be at full strength by December. Izzy works hard and has natural talent and size that aren't often seen together. A healthy season is likely to create a buzz around the metro east about this one of a kind player.</li> <li>All Conference selection, <strong>Mya Glanton, </strong>6'0 Senior post from East St. Louis. averaged 12.3 points per game last year. Mya is dominant in the post and can control the game at times. She averaged almost 6 offensive rebounds per game and 11 total. She shot 58% from the field. Mya gets position, does not give it up and will convert when she gets her chances. Mya is dominant on the defensive end. She blocked almost 2 shots per game. Mya can affect almost any shot taken in the lane and also averaged 1.2 steals per game. She changes the game by just being on the floor.</li> <li>All Conference selection, <strong>Jaylen Townsend, </strong>5'8 wing from Edwardsville. With Jaylen versatility is her strength. Whatever the teams needs she will do. Jaylen has shown that she is more than the role player that everyone has seen the last two years. She has patiently waited her turn while showing herself as a shut down defender and excellent rebounder while playing behind some stars for the Tigers. During the AAU season she consistently led Blue Star Silvey in scoring with many games of 15 or more points. Jaylen has shown a good shooting touch from long distance and the mid range. I look for her to make a strong statement during her senior season at Edwardsville.</li> <li>All Conference selection, <strong>B'Aunce Carter, </strong>6'0 post from Belleville East. B'Aunce averaged 13.2 points per game last year. She is explosive and a tireless worker around the basket. She took down 4 offensive rebounds per game last year, over 7 total. She has been working on her footwork and inside game in the off season hoping to take the next step this year. B’Aunce shot 57% from the field last year so she finishes well when she gets the ball in lane. Defensively she averaged 2.4 blocks per game last year. Because of her shot blocking she can often change a game by limiting any opportunities in the lane.</li> <li>The MVP of the conference will be, <strong>Kaylah Rainey, </strong>a 5’6 Senior guard from Belleville East. She is the ultimate point guard. She is extremely quick, has great court awareness and makes her teammates better. Kaylah averaged 4.8 assists and 4.3 steals per game as a junior. Kaylah has been one of the top players in the conference since her freshman year. During her sophomore year she averaged over 14 points per game, so she can score. As a junior she passed more and that averaged dropped, but she is not worried about scoring. Kaylah is a winner and plays the game to win, whatever it takes.</li> </ul> This is another year in which the conference is loaded with talent. It will be exciting to see all of these teams fight it out for a league championship. There are multiple teams capable of winning the crown and making a post season run. Next I will make my predictions on who comes out on top of this highly contested conference.