This time next week the League season will have, somehow, eclipsed the halfway mark. That means there is plenty of meat on the bones to start thinking about individual awards season, including the coveted Newcomer of the Year.
Off the top of the head, this seemed a fairly straightforward exercise. There are certainly compelling cases but surely the early leader has to be Raheem Anthony, who has been done his own NCAA division-hopping to help orchestrate St. Thomas’ success this year. Looking deeper, it may not be that simple.
Here are the players with credible claims to be named 2024 Summit Newcomer of the Year:
Raheem Anthony, St. Thomas
Anthony isn’t the highest scoring newcomer, or leading the way in any major statistical category, but he’s got a strong case to be the frontrunner. The Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota transfer has jumped in as the Tommies’ lead guard, posting quality numbers (12.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.9 apg) for another good offense in St. Paul.
This Tommies’ team, however, has been more stout defensively than either of its predecessors, and Anthony surely has a lot to do with that as arguably UST’s best defender. He also often has the ball in his hands in late game situations, underlining the immediate trust Johnny Tauer has in the former Division III All-American.
The criteria on these awards can be in the eye of the beholder, but should the Tommies finish the second half of the league season strongly, it’ll be hard to not see Anthony as the league’s most impactful newcomer.
Jaxon Brenchley, Denver
The do-it-all Utah transfer is in a rarefied group. He’s one of just five Summit players averaging at least 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists per game this season, to go with being a reliable threat from outside. Tommy Bruner and Touko Tainamo are having eye-popping seasons, but Brenchley has done his part for the best Pioneers’ offense in a decade.
“My job here is to help this team and the program continue to climb to the top and hopefully reach the NCAA tournament,” he
told 9News Denver recently. Special mention also goes to fellow newcomer Isaiah Addo-Ankrah, who has been among the Summit’s best three-point threats and has a pair of game winning shots to his credit thus far.
Jailen Bedford, Oral Roberts
The Golden Eagles have reminded the conference in the last week that they won’t go quietly in their post-Abmas era. Much of that has been fueled by familiar faces, but Bedford has slotted in as a valuable backcourt complement to Isaac McBride.
The Trinidad State transfer is ORU’s second leading scorer (14.5 ppg) and, like Kareem Thompson, a great rebounder from the perimeter. He’s been able to pop off especially on the defensive glass, grabbing at least six defensive rebounds in eight games.
Jamar Brown, Kansas City
Brown has led the Roos in their reinvented perimeter rotation this year. Kansas City’s leading scorer (14.0 ppg) has scored in double figures in every game but three this season. Two of those points were especially big for the Roos in recent weeks. It was Brown’s floater in the final seconds that gave Kansas City its first Summit road win on Jan. 20, which Marvin Menzies must hope has kickstarted a strong league finish.
The South Dakota duo
It might be unfair to lump Kaleb Stewart (15.6 ppg) and Lahat Thioune (13.6 ppg, 9.9 rpg). The Coyotes inside-outside duo has given the program plenty of production this season, and each is worthy of consideration, especially if USD bottles some of the explosiveness it showed in its thrilling loss to Denver and begins to climb the standings.
For Stewart, you can wipe out his historic 44-point outing against DU and you’d still be able to say he’s capable of massive offensive nights, having scored 33 points against North Dakota State earlier this year. Thioune is currently first in the Summit – and 14th nationally – in rebounding as he has puts an impressive bow on his college career.
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