The Mid-American Conference on Monday announced its Basketball Week 1 Players of the Week. They are:
MAC Men’s Basketball East Division Player of the Week
Jimmy Hall, Kent State, Forward
Senior, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Hofstra/St. Anthony (N.J.)
Hall scored a team-best 19 points while bringing down a career-high 18 rebounds, five on the offensive end in a win over Cleveland State. He was also the team's top distributor at four assists. His four assists were in big moments, as two came on 3-pointers. His final assist came on a bucket that gave Kent State a lead they would not give up in overtime.
MAC Men’s Basketball West Division Player of the Week
Franko House, Ball State, Forward
Senior, Elkhart, Ind. (Concord)
House matched his career-high with 23 points Friday to lead Ball State to an 85-64 road win at Saint Louis in the season opener. The senior forward was 9 for 12 from the floor, including a perfect 4 for 4 from 3-point range. He had never previously made more than two 3’s in a game, but he matched that number in the first four minutes after spending the offseason working to improve his outside shot. House added six rebounds and three assists. He tallied Ball State’s first eight points of the game and went on to score his 23 points in 25 minutes of action. He helped the Cardinals build a double-digit lead in the opening five minutes, and they eventually stretched the margin to as many as 27.
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MAC Men’s Basketball East Division Player of the Week
Jimmy Hall, Kent State, Forward
Senior, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Hofstra/St. Anthony (N.J.)
Hall scored a team-best 19 points while bringing down a career-high 18 rebounds, five on the offensive end in a win over Cleveland State. He was also the team's top distributor at four assists. His four assists were in big moments, as two came on 3-pointers. His final assist came on a bucket that gave Kent State a lead they would not give up in overtime.
MAC Men’s Basketball West Division Player of the Week
Franko House, Ball State, Forward
Senior, Elkhart, Ind. (Concord)
House matched his career-high with 23 points Friday to lead Ball State to an 85-64 road win at Saint Louis in the season opener. The senior forward was 9 for 12 from the floor, including a perfect 4 for 4 from 3-point range. He had never previously made more than two 3’s in a game, but he matched that number in the first four minutes after spending the offseason working to improve his outside shot. House added six rebounds and three assists. He tallied Ball State’s first eight points of the game and went on to score his 23 points in 25 minutes of action. He helped the Cardinals build a double-digit lead in the opening five minutes, and they eventually stretched the margin to as many as 27.
(FOR OTHER NOMINEES/DETAILS, CLICK READ MORE . . . )
Other Nominees
Willie Conner, Buffalo, Wing
Senior, Chicago, IL (Richard T. Crane)
Conner opened the season for the Bulls with 20 points in a 76-66 win at Niagara. Conner drilled four three pointers in the game, including a four-point play late in the contest, which clinched it for the Bulls. Conner also added three rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Ray Lee, Eastern Michigan, Guard
R-Senior, Detroit, Mich. (Romulus)
Lee led the Eagles in a pair of matchups with "Power Five" conference opponents. The Detroit, Mich. native posted a pair of 20-plus performances, grabbing 27 in the Green and White's double overtime setback to Pittsburgh and 26 versus Southern Methodist. The 6-foot-3 combo guard went nearly perfect from the free throw line, connecting of 21-of-22 at the charity stripe.
Marcus Keene, Central Michigan, Guard
Junior, San Antonio, Texas (Warren)
Keene made a big splash in his official Central Michigan debut, posting a double-double in the Chippewas 117-53 win over Indiana University Kokomo. In 29 minutes of court time, Keene totaled 32 points, on 11-of-18 shooting (.611), 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. In his brief time in the Maroon & Gold, Keene has shown a knack for lighting up the scoreboard, as he scored 32 points in an exhibition win over Slippery Rock and 29 in a scrimmage versus Oakland. After the season opener, Keene ranks No. 1 in the MAC and No. 4 in the nation in scoring.
Michael Weathers, Miami, Guard
Freshman, Roeland Park, Kan. (Shawnee Mission North)
Weather had one of the strongest debut games in recent Miami basketball history, leading the RedHawks with 21 points in their win over Muskingum on Friday. He shot 7-for-12 from the field and 6-for-7 from the line. Weathers did all the little things to help Miami earn the win as well. He pulled in seven rebounds, and also contributed three assists, two blocks and three steals in 24 minutes of action.
Marin Maric, NIU, Center
Senior Split, Croatia (La Lumiere School)
Maric scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds as the Huskies earned an 80-78 season-opening victory over Indiana State on Friday night. Maric posted his fourth career 20-plus point game, which included an 11-of-14 performance from the field as the Huskies won their season opener for the third-straight season. Maric played a career-high 35 minutes in the contest and tied a career-high with two three-point field goals, he was 2-of-4 from beyond the arc in the game. The victory marked the first time NIU has gone to overtime in a season opener since 1997.
Jordan Dartis, Ohio, Guard
Sophomore, Newark, Ohio (Newark)
Dartis helped lead the Ohio men's basketball team (1-0) to a 77-67 win over Southern (0-1) in the 2016-17 season opener last Saturday (Nov. 12) at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio. Dartis shot 4-of-8 from the field -- including 3-of-6 from three-point range -- and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line to finish with a team-high 15 points. He also dished over four assists, grabbed two rebounds and collected a steal in 35 minutes. Dartis finished in double figures in points for the 16th time in his career and led the team in scoring for the third time in his career.
Jonathan Williams, Toledo, Guard
Senior, Southfield, MI (Southfield-Lathrup)
Senior guard Jonathan Williams paced Toledo with 18 points in the Rockets' 77-76 loss at Saint Joseph's. Williams shot 53.8 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from three-point range and 100.0 percent from the free-throw line.
Tucker Haymond, Western Michigan, Guard/Forward
Senior, Seattle, Wash. (Garfield)
Haymond led Western Michigan to a 90-74 victory over visiting Marygrove this past Friday in the Broncos' season-opener. Haymond had 20 points, five assists and four steals, all of which were game highs. He also pulled down four rebounds. Haymond scored 14 of hit points in the first half, helping WMU get out to a 41-31 lead. He did his damage at the free-throw line, where he was 10-for-12 on the day.
Willie Conner, Buffalo, Wing
Senior, Chicago, IL (Richard T. Crane)
Conner opened the season for the Bulls with 20 points in a 76-66 win at Niagara. Conner drilled four three pointers in the game, including a four-point play late in the contest, which clinched it for the Bulls. Conner also added three rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Ray Lee, Eastern Michigan, Guard
R-Senior, Detroit, Mich. (Romulus)
Lee led the Eagles in a pair of matchups with "Power Five" conference opponents. The Detroit, Mich. native posted a pair of 20-plus performances, grabbing 27 in the Green and White's double overtime setback to Pittsburgh and 26 versus Southern Methodist. The 6-foot-3 combo guard went nearly perfect from the free throw line, connecting of 21-of-22 at the charity stripe.
Marcus Keene, Central Michigan, Guard
Junior, San Antonio, Texas (Warren)
Keene made a big splash in his official Central Michigan debut, posting a double-double in the Chippewas 117-53 win over Indiana University Kokomo. In 29 minutes of court time, Keene totaled 32 points, on 11-of-18 shooting (.611), 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. In his brief time in the Maroon & Gold, Keene has shown a knack for lighting up the scoreboard, as he scored 32 points in an exhibition win over Slippery Rock and 29 in a scrimmage versus Oakland. After the season opener, Keene ranks No. 1 in the MAC and No. 4 in the nation in scoring.
Michael Weathers, Miami, Guard
Freshman, Roeland Park, Kan. (Shawnee Mission North)
Weather had one of the strongest debut games in recent Miami basketball history, leading the RedHawks with 21 points in their win over Muskingum on Friday. He shot 7-for-12 from the field and 6-for-7 from the line. Weathers did all the little things to help Miami earn the win as well. He pulled in seven rebounds, and also contributed three assists, two blocks and three steals in 24 minutes of action.
Marin Maric, NIU, Center
Senior Split, Croatia (La Lumiere School)
Maric scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds as the Huskies earned an 80-78 season-opening victory over Indiana State on Friday night. Maric posted his fourth career 20-plus point game, which included an 11-of-14 performance from the field as the Huskies won their season opener for the third-straight season. Maric played a career-high 35 minutes in the contest and tied a career-high with two three-point field goals, he was 2-of-4 from beyond the arc in the game. The victory marked the first time NIU has gone to overtime in a season opener since 1997.
Jordan Dartis, Ohio, Guard
Sophomore, Newark, Ohio (Newark)
Dartis helped lead the Ohio men's basketball team (1-0) to a 77-67 win over Southern (0-1) in the 2016-17 season opener last Saturday (Nov. 12) at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio. Dartis shot 4-of-8 from the field -- including 3-of-6 from three-point range -- and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line to finish with a team-high 15 points. He also dished over four assists, grabbed two rebounds and collected a steal in 35 minutes. Dartis finished in double figures in points for the 16th time in his career and led the team in scoring for the third time in his career.
Jonathan Williams, Toledo, Guard
Senior, Southfield, MI (Southfield-Lathrup)
Senior guard Jonathan Williams paced Toledo with 18 points in the Rockets' 77-76 loss at Saint Joseph's. Williams shot 53.8 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from three-point range and 100.0 percent from the free-throw line.
Tucker Haymond, Western Michigan, Guard/Forward
Senior, Seattle, Wash. (Garfield)
Haymond led Western Michigan to a 90-74 victory over visiting Marygrove this past Friday in the Broncos' season-opener. Haymond had 20 points, five assists and four steals, all of which were game highs. He also pulled down four rebounds. Haymond scored 14 of hit points in the first half, helping WMU get out to a 41-31 lead. He did his damage at the free-throw line, where he was 10-for-12 on the day.
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