Jacobs grad Krutwig wins Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year
Loyola coach Porter Moser saved the best for last following Monday's practice.
It's a tradition for the Ramblers to announce postseason awards in front of the whole team. Moser started with point guard Braden Norris, a transfer from Oakland University, who was named to the Missouri Valley Conference all-newcomer team.
Moser moved on to redshirt senior Aher Uguak, who earned MVC all-defensive team honors.
Senior Lucas Williamson (Whitney Young) came next, second team all-MVC while becoming the second Rambler in the last four seasons to garner MVC Defensive Player of the Year recognition. The 6-foot-4 guard joins Ben Richardson, who took home the league' top defensive player honor in 2018.
And finally came Jacobs grad Cameron Krutwig, a senior who won the Larry Bird Trophy as the MVC Player of the Year.
Teammates mobbed Krutwig, who was quick to pass the credit - just like he does as the country's premier passing big man.
"Typical Cam," Moser said. "Guys jumping on him and he was saying, 'I wouldn't have done this without my teammates, this is a team award.' He couldn't take the celebration for five seconds without saying it's all you guys."
Krutwig, who follows former teammates Clayton Custer (2018) and Marques Townes (2019) as Larry Bird Trophy winners, is averaging 15 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals. The 6-foot-9 center is the only player in Ramblers history to rank in the school's all-time Top 10 in scoring (1,744), rebounding (894) and assists (353).
Krutwig had finished in top three in the MVC Player of the Year voting in each of the last two years. Earlier this season, he became just the fourth individual in the history of the MVC to total 1,500 points, 800 rebounds and 300 assists joining Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati), Larry Bird (Indiana State) and Hersey Hawkins (Bradley).
"That's the team pulling for each other," said Krutwig about the celebration, just as excited that his roommate Williamson took home defensive player of the year. "Lucas had been wanting that one for awhile. It was a special moment there and speaks to the team for sure."
Loyola (21-4, 16-2 MVC), which is ranked No. 20 in this week's AP Top 25 poll, has its best record through 25 games since 1965-66 (22-3) and will be the top seed at the MVC Tournament, which will be held this weekend in St. Louis. The Ramblers play a quarterfinal game at 11 a.m. Friday against the winner of Bradley/Southern Illinois.