CHICAGO (March 5, 2019) – Four members of the Loyola University Chicago men's basketball program have earned recognition on the All-Missouri Valley Conference teams, highlighted by a pair of first team selections, it was announced today by the league office. The Ramblers had multiple first team all-conference honorees for the first time since joining the MVC and the first time, regardless of league affiliation, since 1986-87 (Bernard Jackson and Andre Moore).
 
Marques Townes (Edison, N.J./St. Joseph/Fairleigh Dickinson), a redshirt senior guard who has helped lead Loyola to 51 wins and back-to-back MVC regular-season championships since joining the program last season, was tabbed First Team All-MVC. The emotional leader of the squad has taken his game to another level this year, averaging a league-best 18.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.2 apg and 1.1 spg in Valley play. Overall, his numbers sit at 15.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.5 apg and 1.0 spg entering this week's Missouri Valley Conference Championship in St. Louis. He has been as steady as any player in The Valley this season, scoring nine or more points 29 times in 31 outings with seven games of 20 or more tallies. In two contests versus regular season co-champion Drake, Townes was unstoppable, racking up 30.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.0 apg and 1.5 spg, going for a career-best 32 points, eight boards and five assists in Loyola's 86-64 win in Chicago February 5. 
 
Sophomore Cameron Krutwig (Algonquin, Ill./Jacobs) joined Townes on the All-MVC First Team after earning Third Team All-MVC accolades a year ago. The 2018 MVC Freshman of the Year elevated his play this winter leading the team with 7.3 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per outing, adding 14.9 points and 2.4 assists per game, while ranking among the national leaders in field goal percentage (.641). The only player to rank in the top six in both scoring (15.9) and rebounding (7.2) in Valley play, the 6-foot-9 Krutwig has scored in double figures in 18 consecutive contests, scoring nine or points in all 31 outings. This season, he has recorded six double-doubles, three times topping the 20-point mark. 
 
One year after earning MVC Player of the Year recognition, Clayton Custer (Overland, Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest/Iowa State) took home Third Team All-MVC honors after putting up 11.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.6 qpg and 1.1 spg. As the senior point guard has gone, so have the Ramblers this season, posting a 12-1 record when he shoots 50 percent or better from the field. In a victory over Norfolk State in December, he totaled 21 points, draining seven three-pointers, one shy of matching a school record, then went off in a victory at Drake, totaling a career-best 26 points and connecting on a half dozen three-pointers. 
 
Rounding out Loyola's crop of honorees is guard Cooper Kaifes (Shawnee, Kan./Mill Valley), who was named to the MVC All-Freshman Team. The 6-foot-3 sharpshooter had a solid rookie campaign, pitching in 5.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg and 1.5 spg, while connecting on 45.7 percent (48-for-105) of his attempts from three-point territory. He got his collegiate career off to a rousing start, netting a season-high 19 points in the season opener versus UMKC. He went on to score in double digits on six other occasions and Loyola has posted an 11-3 ledger this season when he has connected for two or more treys. Kaifes' selection means Loyola has produced and developed an all-freshman team player in each of the last two seasons.
 
Top-seeded Loyola opens up play at the MVC Championship March 8 when takes on either No. 8 Indiana State or No. 9 Valparaiso at noon on NBC Sports Chicago.
 
The complete list of All-MVC teams follows.
 
First Team All-MVC
Tulio Da Silva, Missouri State
Phil Fayne, Illinois State
Cameron Krutwig, Loyola
Nick McGlynn, Drake
Marques Townes, Loyola
 
Second Team All-MVC
Darrell Brown, Bradley
Brady Ellingson, Drake
Armon Fletcher, Southern Illinois
Tyreke Key, Indiana State
Milk Yarbrough, Illinois State
 
Third Team All-MVC
Elijah Childs, Bradley
Keandre Cook, Missouri State
Clayton Custer, Loyola
AJ Green, UNI
Kavion Pippen, Southern Illinois
 
All-Newcomer Team
Keandre Cook, Missouri State
Tulio Da Silva, Missouri State
Brady Ellingson, Drake
AJ Green, UNI
Josh Webster, Missouri State
 
All-Freshman Team
Javon Freeman, Valparaiso
AJ Green, UNI
Cooper Kaifes, Loyola
Cooper Neese, Indiana State
D.J. Wilkins, Drake
 
All-Defensive Team
Isaiah Brown, UNI
Javon Freeman, Valparaiso
Sean Lloyd, Southern Illinois
Nick McGlynn, Drake
Kavion Pippen, Southern Illinois