The Mid-American Conference on Monday announced its men’s basketball Players of the Week.
(Click Read More for details on POTW and other nominees)
(Click Read More for details on POTW and other nominees)
AC East Division Player of the Week
CJ Massinburg, Buffalo
Guard, Senior, Dallas, TX (South Oak Cliff)
Senior CJ Masinburg led the Bulls to a split this week, playing arguably the toughest two-game road trip by a MAC squad this year and perennial powers Syracuse and Marquette. Buffalo began the weekend with a 71-59 win over Syracuse in the Carrier Dome on Tuesday night as Massinburg had 25 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. He went 8-of-16 from the floor in the win. Massinburg added 18 points and four rebounds at Marquette on Friday night, while also recording four steals defensively. Massinburg is averaging 17.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
MAC Co-West Division Player of the Week
Tahjai Teague, Ball State
Forward, Junior, Indianapols, Ind. (Pike)
Tahjai Teague led Ball State to a pair of decisive victories last week, averaging a double-double with 18.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. The junior forward scored 19 points and pulled down a season-high 12 rebounds Monday in a 77-61 victory at Valparaiso. It was the Cardinals’ first road win over the Crusaders since 1990. Teague then scored 17 points and grabbed nine boards Thursday in a 98-71 win over Howard. He went 8-for-9 from the floor against the Bison, improving his MAC-leading field goal percentage to .636 for the season. Teague has now scored double figures in eight straight games (BSU has won seven of them), helping the Cardinals climb to No. 84 in the Ken Pomeroy rankings. It’s the highest Ball State has been rated since at least the 2004-05 season.
Shawn Roundtree Jr., Central Michigan
Guard, Senior, Edwardsville, Ill. (Mineral Area College)
Senior guard Shawn Roundtree Jr. stepped to the forefront in a major way last week for Central Michigan, leading the Chippewas to a 2-0 record. The Edwardsville, Ill. native averaged 21.5 points, shooting .550 from the field, .455 from 3-point range and .889 from the free throw line, as CMU remained undefeated at home this season (6-0). On Wednesday, in a 81-72 victory over UMKC, Roundtree scored a game-high 22 points, knocking down three 3-pointers and making 7-of-8 free throws. Midway through the second half, Roundtree shifted the momentum permanently in the Chippewas' favor, sinking clutch back-to-back 3-pointers. On Saturday, in another 81-72 win, this time over Jackson State, Roundtree Jr. scored 21 points, shooting 90% from the line (9-of-10). Roundtree, who ranks second on the team in scoring (16.0 ppg) has reached double figures in eight straight games, totaling 20+ in three of CMU's last four.
CJ Massinburg, Buffalo
Guard, Senior, Dallas, TX (South Oak Cliff)
Senior CJ Masinburg led the Bulls to a split this week, playing arguably the toughest two-game road trip by a MAC squad this year and perennial powers Syracuse and Marquette. Buffalo began the weekend with a 71-59 win over Syracuse in the Carrier Dome on Tuesday night as Massinburg had 25 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. He went 8-of-16 from the floor in the win. Massinburg added 18 points and four rebounds at Marquette on Friday night, while also recording four steals defensively. Massinburg is averaging 17.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
MAC Co-West Division Player of the Week
Tahjai Teague, Ball State
Forward, Junior, Indianapols, Ind. (Pike)
Tahjai Teague led Ball State to a pair of decisive victories last week, averaging a double-double with 18.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. The junior forward scored 19 points and pulled down a season-high 12 rebounds Monday in a 77-61 victory at Valparaiso. It was the Cardinals’ first road win over the Crusaders since 1990. Teague then scored 17 points and grabbed nine boards Thursday in a 98-71 win over Howard. He went 8-for-9 from the floor against the Bison, improving his MAC-leading field goal percentage to .636 for the season. Teague has now scored double figures in eight straight games (BSU has won seven of them), helping the Cardinals climb to No. 84 in the Ken Pomeroy rankings. It’s the highest Ball State has been rated since at least the 2004-05 season.
Shawn Roundtree Jr., Central Michigan
Guard, Senior, Edwardsville, Ill. (Mineral Area College)
Senior guard Shawn Roundtree Jr. stepped to the forefront in a major way last week for Central Michigan, leading the Chippewas to a 2-0 record. The Edwardsville, Ill. native averaged 21.5 points, shooting .550 from the field, .455 from 3-point range and .889 from the free throw line, as CMU remained undefeated at home this season (6-0). On Wednesday, in a 81-72 victory over UMKC, Roundtree scored a game-high 22 points, knocking down three 3-pointers and making 7-of-8 free throws. Midway through the second half, Roundtree shifted the momentum permanently in the Chippewas' favor, sinking clutch back-to-back 3-pointers. On Saturday, in another 81-72 win, this time over Jackson State, Roundtree Jr. scored 21 points, shooting 90% from the line (9-of-10). Roundtree, who ranks second on the team in scoring (16.0 ppg) has reached double figures in eight straight games, totaling 20+ in three of CMU's last four.
Other Nominees
Nike Sibande, Miami
Guard, Sophomore, Indianapolis, Ind. (Crispus Attucks)
Sibande led the Redhawks to a dominant 79-55 win over South Carolina State in their only action last week. He scored 24 points and also had six rebounds and a block. In the 28:11 he was on the floor, Miami outscored the Bulldogs by 37 points.
Eugene German, Northern Illinois
Guard, Junior, Gary, Ind. (21st Century Charter)
NIU junior Eugene German averaged a team-high 19.7 points per game for the week as the Huskies won two of three games. The leading scorer in the MAC, German also averaged 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the field, 45 percent from three and 76.9 percent from the free-throw line. German scored 20 points in the first game of the week, a 91-76 victory over Western Illinois, on 7-of-9 shooting. Against Northern Kentucky, the junior from Gary, Ind., scored 18 points with seven rebounds before closing the week with 21 points in a 100-59 victory against Chicago State. German has scored in double figures in all 10 games his has played in his season and in 44-straight games overall.
Ben Vander Plas, Ohio
Forward, RS Freshman, Ripon, Wis. (Ripon HS)
Redshirt freshman Ben Vander Play led the Bobcats on the floor this past week, when they took on Purdue on Thursday, Dec. 20. Vader Play scored 15 points, going 4-of-9 from the field, with all four field goals coming from three-point range. Vader Play was also 3-of-4 from the free throw line, while grabbing three rebounds, recording one take away and registering one block.
Jaelan Sanford, Toledo
Guard, Senior, Evansville, Ind.
Senior Jaelan Sanford scored a game-high 29 points on 9-of-13 shooting to go along with five rebounds and a team-best five assists to lead Toledo to its ninth straight victory, an 86-70 home win over Cornell last Wednesday. The victory improved UT’s record to 11-1 this season for its best to a season since the 2013-14 campaign.Sanford scored the Rockets' first seven points after intermission and tallied 18 of his 29 points in the second half. He also sank all nine of free throw attempts to match his career high. Sanford ranks fourth in the MAC this season with a team-high 18.0 ppg and leads the conference with an 88.9 free-throw percentage (32-of-36).
Michael Flowers, Western Michigan
Guard, Sophomore, Southfield, Mich. (Southfield A&T)
Flowers in two games at Dayton and home against Milwaukee, led the Broncos with 16.5 points per game and ranked second on the team with 5.0 rebounds per game. Flowers also had 3.0 assists per game, recording three assists in each game. On Wednesday at Dayton, Flowers was 7-of-12 from the floor and led WMU in points (20), rebounds (6) and assists (3). Against Milwaukee, the Southfield, Mich., native had 13 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists. Flowers has reached double digit points in each of the past six games.
Nike Sibande, Miami
Guard, Sophomore, Indianapolis, Ind. (Crispus Attucks)
Sibande led the Redhawks to a dominant 79-55 win over South Carolina State in their only action last week. He scored 24 points and also had six rebounds and a block. In the 28:11 he was on the floor, Miami outscored the Bulldogs by 37 points.
Eugene German, Northern Illinois
Guard, Junior, Gary, Ind. (21st Century Charter)
NIU junior Eugene German averaged a team-high 19.7 points per game for the week as the Huskies won two of three games. The leading scorer in the MAC, German also averaged 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the field, 45 percent from three and 76.9 percent from the free-throw line. German scored 20 points in the first game of the week, a 91-76 victory over Western Illinois, on 7-of-9 shooting. Against Northern Kentucky, the junior from Gary, Ind., scored 18 points with seven rebounds before closing the week with 21 points in a 100-59 victory against Chicago State. German has scored in double figures in all 10 games his has played in his season and in 44-straight games overall.
Ben Vander Plas, Ohio
Forward, RS Freshman, Ripon, Wis. (Ripon HS)
Redshirt freshman Ben Vander Play led the Bobcats on the floor this past week, when they took on Purdue on Thursday, Dec. 20. Vader Play scored 15 points, going 4-of-9 from the field, with all four field goals coming from three-point range. Vader Play was also 3-of-4 from the free throw line, while grabbing three rebounds, recording one take away and registering one block.
Jaelan Sanford, Toledo
Guard, Senior, Evansville, Ind.
Senior Jaelan Sanford scored a game-high 29 points on 9-of-13 shooting to go along with five rebounds and a team-best five assists to lead Toledo to its ninth straight victory, an 86-70 home win over Cornell last Wednesday. The victory improved UT’s record to 11-1 this season for its best to a season since the 2013-14 campaign.Sanford scored the Rockets' first seven points after intermission and tallied 18 of his 29 points in the second half. He also sank all nine of free throw attempts to match his career high. Sanford ranks fourth in the MAC this season with a team-high 18.0 ppg and leads the conference with an 88.9 free-throw percentage (32-of-36).
Michael Flowers, Western Michigan
Guard, Sophomore, Southfield, Mich. (Southfield A&T)
Flowers in two games at Dayton and home against Milwaukee, led the Broncos with 16.5 points per game and ranked second on the team with 5.0 rebounds per game. Flowers also had 3.0 assists per game, recording three assists in each game. On Wednesday at Dayton, Flowers was 7-of-12 from the floor and led WMU in points (20), rebounds (6) and assists (3). Against Milwaukee, the Southfield, Mich., native had 13 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists. Flowers has reached double digit points in each of the past six games.
RSS Feed