The Mid-American Conference on Monday announced its weekly YP.com Players of the Week. Issaiah Johnson (Akron) and Khaliq Spicer (Kent State) shared honors in the East Division, while Travon Baker (Northern Illinois) got the nod in the West Division.
(CLICK READ MORE TO CONTINUE . . . )
(CLICK READ MORE TO CONTINUE . . . )
YP.com MAC Men's Basketball East Division Co-Players of the Week
Isaiah Johnson, Akron
Jr., Center, Cincinnati, Ohio (Walnut Hills)
Johnson led the men's basketball team to a pair of Mid-American Conference wins, snapping the Zips' two-game losing skid. The junior center was second in scoring in both contests at Akron defeated Eastern Michigan (92-88) and Miami (75-46) at James A Rhodes Arena. Against EMU, Johnson logged 27 minutes, scoring 22 points on 55 percent shooting from the field (5-of-8). He added his second-best career performance from the free throw line, knocking down 12-of-13 bonus buckets for a 92.3 percent effort. Johnson also led the squad on the glass puling down a team-high eight rebounds while adding two blocked shots and an assist. Against Miami, Big Dog logged 17 minutes with a second-best 12 points. He was 4-of-7 from he floor, shooting 57.1 percent and added a perfect 4-of-4 performance from the charity stripe. Johnson collected five rebounds and added two assists. For the Week, Johnson averaged 17 points and was 9-of-16 from the field with a 56.3 shooting percentage while connecting at a career-best 94.1 percent from the free throw line, making 16-of-17 attempts. He grabbed 13 rebounds (6.5 rebs/g), added three assists (1.5 ast/g) with two blocked shots (1.5 blk/g).
Khaliq Spicer, Kent State
Sr., Center, Detroit, Mich. (Robichaud)
Spicer dominated play around the basket to lead a Kent State defense that was able to make enough stops to earn a pair of road victories and move into sole possession of first place in the East Division and remain tied for first place in the overall MAC standings. The Golden Flashes owned a +7.0 rebound margin and outscored opponents 66-48 in the paint and 31-12 on second chance opportunities, while Spicer's presence at the rim was key to holding opponents to a 39.1% field goal percentage for the week. Spicer set a Kent State record by swatting 7 shots Tuesday night against a Ball State team that entered the night having the 3rd-fewest missed field goal attempts blocked in the country (5.1%). He added 7 points, 8 rebounds, a career-high 3 assists and 2 steals. With the Flashes leading by 2 points and 3.5 on the clock at Bowling Green on Saturday, Spicer grabbed a huge traffic rebound off an intentionally missed free throw attempt and then sank a free throw that forced the Falcons to attempt a three-point shot on the final possession of the game. He finished with 7 points on a perfect 3-for-3 from the field to go with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. On the week, Spicer averaged 7.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots per game.
YP.com MAC Men's Basketball West Division Player of the Week
Travon Baker, NIU
Sr., Guard, Detroit, Mich. (Detroit Consortium)
Baker averaged 20.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals as the Huskies swept Central Michigan and Toledo. The senior from Detroit also tied the NIU career steals record as the Huskies improved to 16-3 on the season, 5-1 in Mid-American Conference play. Baker opened the week with a game-high 19 points as the Huskies rallied from down seven at halftime to defeat Central Michigan, 75-70. The Huskie senior played 39 minutes, going 7-of-15 from the field with five rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. Against Toledo, Baker netted a game-high 21 points, including six three-pointers, to go along with a team-high nine rebounds, two assists and two steals. Baker's second steal against the Rockets was the 163rd of his NIU career, tying him with Ronald Minter (1993-97) for the NIU record.
RSS Feed