VanVleet wins Larry Bird Player of the Year award

Feb 1, 2014; Wichita, KS, USA; Wichita State Shockers guard Fred VanVleet (23) reacts after the Shockers take the lead late in the first half against Evansville Aces at Charles Koch Arena. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

Wichita State Shockers sophomore Fred VanVleet was named the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player of the Year. VanVleet has led the Shockers to an unprecedented 31 regular-season wins as the Shockers enter March Madness ranked No. 2 nationally as the lone unbeaten team in the nation.

VanVleet is the fourth Shocker to earn the league’s Player of the Year award, joining Antoine Carr (1983), Xavier McDaniel (1984, 1985) and Paul Miller (2006).

The point guard received 22 of a possible 36 first-place votes in voting conducted by coaches, sports information directors and a media panel. VanVleet joins Creighton’s Doug McDermott (2012) as the only players in league history to win the honor as a sophomore.

The Shockers also had the No. 2 vote getter, Cleanthony Early, and the No. 3 vote getter, Ron Baker. This is the first time in the history of the award that the top three point-getters were all from the same team.

VanVleet was all named to the league’s first-team unit, along with Early and Baker. This is the first trio from the same team to earn first-team all-MVC honors since 1973.

VanVleet has also been named one of the 10 national semifinalists for the 2014 Men’s Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T and The Atlanta Tipoff Club. He is averaging 11.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game on the season.