Valparaiso University junior center Derrik Smits (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) was named to the Missouri Valley Conference’s Most-Improved Team, as voted on by the conference’s beat reporters and announced today by the MVC office.

After finishing fourth on the team a season ago in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 7.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, Smits has led Valpo this year in both categories, posting 12.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures a team-high 22 times this season, including five efforts of 20+ points. Smits has paced Valpo in the scoring column 12 times and in rebounding on 12 occasions as well.

Smits becomes the second Valpo player honored with MVC postseason awards this week, joining freshman Javon Freeman (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young), who earned a spot on the conference’s All-Freshman and All-Defensive Teams on Tuesday.