St. Louis ? Southern Illinois added another accolade to its No. 11 ranking, Missouri Valley Conference championship and 25-5 record on Tuesday when senior guard Jamaal Tatum was named the conference’s player of the year.

Tatum, who averages 14.5 points and is shooting 40 percent from three-point range, was joined on the first team by senior forward Randal Falker. Conference runner-up Creighton also landed two players, senior guard Nate Funk and senior center Anthony Tolliver. Missouri State guard Blake Ahearn, a senior, completes the team.

Conference officials said balloting for the conference MVP, named for former Indiana State star Larry Bird, was believed to be the closest in history. Tatum received 70 points in balloting by conference coaches, media and sports information directors, finishing three points ahead of Funk and five ahead of Falker.