Osiris Eldridge
Encyclopedia
Osiris Eldridge is a former player of Illinois State
Illinois State University
Illinois State University , founded in 1857, is the oldest public university in Illinois; it is located in the town of Normal. ISU is considered a "national university" that grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research; it is also recognized as one of the top ten largest...

's basketball team. As a freshman, he won the Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...

 Freshman of the Year award, and as a sophomore, he was runner up in MVP honors while leading ISU
Illinois State University
Illinois State University , founded in 1857, is the oldest public university in Illinois; it is located in the town of Normal. ISU is considered a "national university" that grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research; it is also recognized as one of the top ten largest...

 to its most wins in school history with 25. He is currently playing for the Turkish team Pınar Karşıyaka
Pinar Karsiyaka
Pınar Karşıyaka is a professional basketball team based in the city of İzmir in Turkey. It is a section of the Karşıyaka SK. The team was sponsored by Pınar since 1998. It is the product of Yasar Holding's Food and Beverage Group....

.

Phillips Academy

As a junior, averaged 21 points, six rebounds, three assists and nearly five steals. As a senior, averaged 25 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game. Named first team all-city in 2006. A second team all-state selection by Illinois Hoops and was on the third team all-state by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...

. Played in the 2005 Wallace Prather, Jr. Memorial All-Star Classic, which features the top players from the adidas camp. The 2005 IHSA Class AA Slam Dunk Champion. Played in the 2006 Riverwar All-Star Game.

Freshman

The 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year. Averaged 9.5 points-and 4.5 rebounds- per-game. Was named Valley Newcomer of the Week Feb. 26. His career-high 28 points at Creighton
Creighton Bluejays
The Creighton Bluejays, or Jays, are the athletic teams of Creighton University, a Jesuit/Catholic University located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Creighton competes in NCAA Division I athletics, competing in the Missouri Valley Conference...

 (Jan. 1) tied the third-highest single-game total by a freshman in Illinois State history. He also tied the school record with eight made three-pointers in the game at Creighton
Creighton Bluejays
The Creighton Bluejays, or Jays, are the athletic teams of Creighton University, a Jesuit/Catholic University located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Creighton competes in NCAA Division I athletics, competing in the Missouri Valley Conference...

.

Sophomore

First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference and the Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...

 MVC Player of the Year runner-up. Averaged 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game on a 43.2 field goal percentage. Two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week (Nov. 18, Feb. 18). Averaged a league-second-best 17.1 points per game to go along with 5.6 rebounds per game on a 47.2 shooting percentage in Valley play. Eldridge has given the Redbirds more confidence and more hype than ever. Eldridge has earned the nickname "King O" and looks to lead the Redbirds the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998.

The Illinois State men's basketball team has been projected to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference, according to the 2008-09 preseason poll determined by a panel of league sports information directors, head coaches and media members. Junior guard Osiris Eldridge was also tabbed as the league's preseason player of the year, after finishing second in the 2008 Larry Bird Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year voting. the league's preseason player of the year, Eldridge was also one of five Valley student-athletes named to the league's preseason all-conference team. As a first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection last season, Eldridge averaged 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

The Chicago native posted 30 double-digit scoring outputs during the 2007-08 season, including nine games with 20 or more points. He scored a career-high 34 points at Indiana State last season, and posted his first-career double-doubles at Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green.

Junior

Joining Eldridge on the Valley's Preseason All-Conference Team were Drake's Jonathan Cox and Josh Young; Southern Illinois' Bryan Mullins; and Creighton's P'Allen Stinnett. Evansville's Shy Ely and Jason Holsinger received honorable mention honors, along with Bradley's Andrew Warren and Theron Wilson.

Eldridge averaged 34.8mpg and 14ppg. Also led the team in steals at 1.5 per game. He took the redbirds to the championship game of the MVC tournament but lost in overtime to Northern Iowa.

Named the 2009 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player, only the second player in league history to receive the award from a member of the runner-up team. Earned First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors. Selected to the Valley's All-Defensive Team. Scored the 1,000th point of his career at Central Michigan. Received the 2008-09 Bob and Audrey Weber Endowed Scholarship in June 2008.

He decided to enter his name in the 2009 NBA Draft
2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...

 but did not hire an agent so he could still retain his right to return to school the next season. He later opted out and dropped his name from the list to return to school.

Senior

Eldridge went into his senior season as the preseason favorite for Missouri Valley Player of the Year by Blue Ribbon Yearbook. He led the conference in scoring, averaging 15.9 points a game. Adam Koch of Northern Iowa won the Missouri Valley Player of the year award.

College career

|-
| align="left" | 06-07
| align="left" | ISU
Illinois State Redbirds
The Illinois State Redbirds are the athletic teams that represent Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Teams play at the NCAA Division I level . The football team competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference while most other teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...


| 31 || 13 || 23.5 || .383 || .377 || .788 || 4.5 || 1.1 || 1.0 || .06 || 9.5
|-
| align="left" | 07-08
| align="left" | ISU
| 35 || 33 || 31.0 || .432 || .385 || .729 || 5.7 || 1.9 || 1.3 || .3 || 15.8
|-
| align="left" | 08-09
| align="left" | ISU
| 34 || 33 || 34.8 || .404 || .353 || .698 || 6.2 || 2.4 || 1.5 || .4 || 14.0
|-
| align="left" | 09-10
| align="left" | ISU
| 33 || 33 || 33.4 || .400 || .354 || .797 || 4.0 || 2.5 || 1.5 || .3 || 15.5
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 133 || 112 || 30.8 || .408 || .367 || .751 || 5.1 || 2.0 || 1.4 || .3 || 13.8

Honors/Awards

  • 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year
  • 2008 First-Team Missouri Valley Conference
  • 2009 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player
  • 2009 First-Team Missouri Valley Conference
  • 2009 Missouri Valley Conference All-Defensive Team

Valley Player of the Week - Dec. 1, 2008; Jan. 5, 2009; Feb. 16, 2009; Nov. 18, 2007; Feb. 18, 2008
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK