PEORIA — Bradley Braves fifth-year point guard Duke Deen was already a must-see player in 2024-25.
Now Deen, the preseason pick for Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors, has been added to the Lou Henson Award watch list. Deen is averaging 13.5 points per game in Bradley’s first four contests, with 3.5 rebounds per game and 16 assists. He’s shooting 42.5% from the field.
Henson’s national Player of the Year Award goes annually to the top player in mid-major college basketball.
Deen was among 50 players included on the watch list this week, which included Northern Iowa’s Tytan Anderson and Murray State’s JaCobi Wood.
The list also includes three other players from teams Bradley could face in the 2024 Myrtle Beach Invitational this week. They include Xaivian Lee (Princeton), Brandon Noel (Wright State) and Caden Pierce (Princeton).
Nov. 19, 2024
LOU HENSON AWARD EARLY-SEASON WATCH LIST
BOSTON, MA — The 2023-24 Lou Henson ‘Early Season’ Watch list has been announced. The award is presented annually to the top player in mid-major college basketball. The 2025 award will be announced in San Antonio, TX, site… pic.twitter.com/EGboGzRhcK
— College Insider Inc. (@collegeinsider) November 19, 2024
2024 Lou Henson award nominees
• Tytan Anderson, UNI; Daniel Batcho, Louisiana Tech; Rasheed Bello, Purdue Fort Wayne; Austin Benigni, Navy; Devontae Blanton, EKU; Juslin Bodo Bodo, High Point; Trey Bonham, Chattanooga; Jamar Brown, Kansas City; Ante Brzovic, Charleston; Adam Clark, Merrimack.
• AJ Clayton, Ohio; Zach Cleveland, Liberty; Tayton Conerway, Troy; Duke Deen, Bradley; Kintavious Dozier, Grambling; Kezza Giffa, High Point; Landon Glasper, NC A&T; Tyon Grant-Foster, Grand Canyon; Barrington Hargress, UC Riverside; Bryce Harris, Howard.
• Ray Harrison, Grand Canyon; Ty Johnson, UC Davis; Jordan Jones, Central Connecticut; Rylan Jones, Samford; Kobe Julien, Arkansas State; Jacari Lane, North Alabama, Xaivian Lee, Princeton; Kino Lilly, Jr., Brown; TJ Long, Vermont; Augustas Marciulionis, Saint Mary’s.
• Bez Mbeng, Yale; Issac McBride, Oral Roberts; AJ McKee, Milwaukee; Trent McLaughlin; Northern Arizona; Amarri Monroe, Quinnipiac; Brandon Noel, Wright State; Jacob Ognacevic, Lipscomb; Caden Pierce, Princeton; Josh Pascarelli, Marist; Quimari Peterson, ETSU.
• John Poulakidas, Yale; Matt Rogers, American; Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, Columbia; Christian Shumate; McNeese; Javan Simmons, Toledo; Payton Sparks, Ball State; Ray’Sean Taylor, SIU Edwardsville; Earl Timberlake; Bryant; Lamar Wilkerson, Sam Houston; JaCobi Wood, Murray State.
Bradley in mid-major rankings
Bradley is at No. 7 in the mid-major national rankings put out Monday by College Insider.
Princeton, one of the team’s the Braves could face this week at the 2024 Myrtle Beach Invitational, is just ahead at No. 6.
Gonzaga is No. 1. Upcoming Bradley opponent San Francisco is No. 5, and Valley foes Northern Iowa (No. 14) and Drake (No. 24) made the rankings as well. Valley teams Murray State, Illinois State and Belmont were among others receiving votes. Texas State, who Bradley faces Thursday in its Myrtle Beach opener, also received some votes.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bradley basketball star is on national watchlist for Lou Henson award
