Carmichael, Allen earn Valley specialty team honors

[March 01, 2012]  ST. LOUIS -- Illinois State's Jackie Carmichael was one of five Missouri Valley Conference players named to the league's most-improved team Wednesday, while Bryant Allen was one of five selections to the conference's all-bench team, as voted on by the Valley's newspaper beat writers.

Carmichael, who was named to the all-Valley second team and the league's all-defensive team Tuesday, leads the Redbirds with 13.6 points per game, after averaging 9.8 tallies per contest last season. Carmichael was also the regular-season league rebounding leader, with 9.4 boards per game, which nearly doubled his 5.4 rebound average from a season ago.

The Manhattan, Kan., native posted 11 double-doubles on the season, which tied for the league best, and he grabbed eight or more rebounds in 20 games and 10 or more in 13 games this season, including a career-best 20 boards and a 19-rebound effort.

Allen, who became eligible for Illinois State on Dec. 18, after sitting out an academic year due to NCAA rules after transferring from Minnesota, played in 19 games, all as a reserve. In Valley play, Allen ranks third on the team in scoring, with 9.9 points per game.

Allen also leads the team in league games with a 48.2 percent 3-point field goal percentage. He came off the bench to post seven double-digit scoring efforts this season, including a career-best 29 points against nationally ranked Creighton on Jan. 13.

The Redbirds enter the 2012 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament as the No. 4 seed and will face No. 5-seeded Northern Iowa in the second quarterfinal matchup Friday afternoon at 2:35 at the Scottrade Center.

[Text from file received from Illinois State]