CHICAGO (March 5, 2019) – Marques Townes (Edison, N.J./St. Joseph/Fairleigh Dickinson), a guard on the Loyola University Chicago men's basketball team, has been named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, it was announced today by the league office. Townes edged Drake's Nick McGlynn for the award, with his Loyola teammate, sophomore center Cameron Krutwig (Algonquin, Ill./Jacobs), finishing third on the ballot. Voting for the award was conducted by the MVC coaches, sports information directors and media.
 
The 6-foot-4 redshirt senior gives the Ramblers back-to-back Larry Bird Trophy winners as Player of the Year honorees, following Clayton Custer's recognition in 2017-18. Loyola is the first MVC school to produce back-to-back Larry Bird Trophy recipients since Creighton's Doug McDermott won the award in consecutive seasons in 2011-12 and 2012-13. This also marks the first time the same Valley institution has had different players earn MVC Player of the Year accolades in consecutive campaigns since 1989-90 and 1990-91 when Bob Harstad and Chad Gallagher of Creighton were honored. Loyola had not developed back-to-back conference player of the year winners since doing so five straight years, 1981-85 (Darius Clemons, Wayne Sappleton, Alfredrick Hughes - 3x).
 
Townes has put together a remarkable senior season after being left off the all-conference teams a year ago despite contributing 11.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and shooting 51.4 percent from the field in 2017-18, while helping the Ramblers to their first-ever MVC regular-season and tournament crowns and later a NCAA Final Four appearance and No. 7 ranking in the final USA Today Coaches Poll.
 
This winter, the emotional leader of the squad has taken his game to another level, 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, delivering eye-popping numbers of 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. 
 
In November, he racked up 24 points and nine rebounds against No. 5 Nevada after hitting a clutch three-pointer in the closing seconds last season to seal Loyola's NCAA Sweet 16 victory over the Wolf Pack. Over the weekend, Townes closed out his career at Gentile Arena in sterling fashion, collecting 26 points to spark the Ramblers to an 81-68 victory over Bradley and a share of their second straight MVC regular season title.
 
Taking home the Valley's other top awards were Tulio Da Silva (Missouri State) as MVC Newcomer of the Year: AJ Green (UNI), the MVC Freshman of the Year; Nick McGlynn (Drake), the Defensive Player of the Year; and Spencer Haldeman (UNI) and Nate Kennell (Bradley), who shared the MVC Sixth Man of the Year Award. 
 
No. 1 seed Loyola (19-12, 12-6 MVC) commences play at Arch Madness Friday afternoon at noon when it faces the winner of the No. 8 Indiana State versus No. 9 Valparaiso game. The Ramblers are looking to earn consecutive NCAA Tournament berths for the first time since 1962-63 and 1963-64.