Player of the Week

CollegeHoops.net Player of the Week: Jamar Butler

Jeff Borzello — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:38:49 -0700

This year has seen a number of trends, the latest one being bubble teams constantly losing when they have a chance to make a statement to the committee and potentially improve their resume enough so that it is NCAA Tournament-worthy. It seemingly happens every week, and this week was no different. UAB lost by 48 to Memphis; Illinois State by 30 to Drake; Florida lost two games this week; Virginia Tech gave up two late free throws to fall to Clemson by one; Southern Illinois lost to Northern Iowa – the list is endless. One team that made a move in the right direction this week was Ohio State. The Buckeyes knocked off Purdue and Michigan State in back-to-back games, and may have worked their way into the field. If they do make the Tournament, they will have to thank Jamar Butler for his outstanding week.

Heading into the season, Butler knew he was going to have to take on yet another role this season; with such a young team, Butler had to be the elder statesman and become more of a leader. This week epitomized the transformation that Butler has undergone. He scored 25 points against Purdue earlier this week, and followed it up with a 20-point, four-rebound, two-assist performance in the Buckeyes’ win over Michigan State on Sunday. He shot 7-for-12 from three-point range, hitting 11-of-18 from the field overall. Butler was also perfect from the free-throw line, hitting all 16 foul shots he took. On the season, the senior guard is averaging 14.5 points and 6.0 assists per game.

Ohio State heads into the Big Ten Tournament with plenty of momentum off of its two big wins this week. Ironically, the Buckeyes will face Michigan State again in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament – a game they might have to win in order to feel safe about their chances come Selection Sunday. However, they wouldn’t even be in this position without Butler’s huge week.

2007-08 Collegehoops.net Players of the Week
March 2nd - Robert Vaden, UAB
February 25th - Al Fisher, Kent State
February 18th - Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis
February 11th - Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
February 4th - Ryan Anderson, California
January 27th - Jerryd Bayless, FR, Arizona
January 20th – Davon Jefferson, FR, USC
January 13th – Michael Beasley, FR, Kansas State
January 6th - Shan Foster, SR, Vanderbilt
December 30th - Brian Butch, SR, Wisconsin
December 23rd - Dwayne Curtis, SR, F, Mississippi
December 16th - Gary Forbes, SR, F, UMASS
December 9th - Joe Alexander, JR, F, West Virginia
December 2nd - Jerryd Bayless, FR, G, Arizona
November 25th - DJ Augustin, SO, G, Texas
November 18th - Jon Brockman, JR, F, Washington
November 11th - Michael Beasley, FR, F, Kansas State

CollegeHoops.net Player of the Week: Robert Vaden

Jeff Borzello — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:05:52 -0800

Rob McKiver scored 52 points in one game. Tyrese Rice scored 46 points against North Carolina. Sean Singletary scored 41 points at Miami (Fl.). Michael Beasley had 69 points and 26 rebounds in his two games this week. And none of them are this week’s Collegehoops.net Player of the Week. The list of impressive and standout performances gets bigger as the season winds down as the star players step-up and attempt to lead their teams to victory. However, many of those big-time games are done in losing efforts. Therefore, this week’s honor goes to UAB’s Robert Vaden, who had an outstanding week, and – get this – his team actually won two games.

UAB struggled earlier in the season as the Blazers’ plethora of transfers and newcomers were taking time to mesh with the returnees and with each other. However, they have made their way into the at-large mix on the strength of their 13-3 record in the last 16 games, and on the back of Vaden. This week was no different. The Blazers picked up a road win over UTEP and a home victory against Tulane, pushing them into second in Conference-USA. Vaden was the main reason for the wins – he finished with 41 points, six rebounds and three assists against UTEP, and 30 points and four rebounds vs. Tulane. He also shot 14 for 25 from three-point range and 19 of 21 from the foul line in the two games. The 6-5 junior is now averaging 22.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game on the season.

With just two games left in the season, UAB needs to finish strong to garner consideration for an NCAA Tournament berth. Unfortunately, one of those games is at Memphis in a rematch of their epic 79-78 Tigers’ win two weeks ago. In that game, Vaden had 27 points and five assists. He needs to come through with another huge performance if UAB is to win on the road. As the past week showed, though, he is certainly capable of it.

2007-08 Collegehoops.net Players of the Week
February 25th - Al Fisher, Kent State

February 18th - Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis
February 11th - Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
February 4th - Ryan Anderson, California
January 27th - Jerryd Bayless, FR, Arizona
January 20th – Davon Jefferson, FR, USC
January 13th – Michael Beasley, FR, Kansas State
January 6th - Shan Foster, SR, Vanderbilt
December 30th - Brian Butch, SR, Wisconsin
December 23rd - Dwayne Curtis, SR, F, Mississippi
December 16th - Gary Forbes, SR, F, UMASS
December 9th - Joe Alexander, JR, F, West Virginia
December 2nd - Jerryd Bayless, FR, G, Arizona
November 25th - DJ Augustin, SO, G, Texas
November 18th - Jon Brockman, JR, F, Washington
November 11th - Michael Beasley, FR, F, Kansas State

Player of the Week: Al Fisher

Jeff Borzello — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:06:04 -0800

Although there are plenty of critics, Bracket Busters weekend is one of the most exciting three days of college basketball all season if you’re someone that likes mid-major basketball. Bubble teams that are trying to make a move so they can get one of the last spots in the NCAA Tournament attempt to catch the committee’s eyes with a big win, while conference leaders need to grab solid victories to boost their resumes in case they don’t win the conference tournament. Kent State was one of the teams in the latter group – as the leader of the deep MAC, the Golden Flashes were right there for an at-large bid, but needed to pick-up a big win somewhere along the line. On Saturday, they did just that, going to Saint Mary’s and knocking off the Gaels, 65-57, behind a huge game from Al Fisher.

Fisher, a 6-foot-1 junior guard and the team’s leading scorer, has been one of the main catalysts for the Golden Flashes this season and his stellar play in the second half of the year was a major reason for their dominant play in the MAC. This past week, when Kent State needed him the most, he stepped his game up to another level. Fisher had 28 points, four rebounds and two assists, hitting 9-of-17 shots from the field, helping the Flashes beat the host Gaels. He had two key baskets down the stretch, increase KSU’s lead to five with under a minute remaining. Earlier in the week, Fisher finished with 20 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals in a win at Buffalo. In the last seven games, Fisher is averaging nearly 21 points per game, more than six points higher than his season average.

Although Kent State is not a lock just yet, its win on Saturday night at Saint Mary’s will likely go a long way in determining the Golden Flashes’ Selection Sunday fate should they not win the MAC Tournament in a couple of weeks. However, if Fisher continues to play like this, Kent State won’t even need an at-large bid.

2007-08 Collegehoops.net Players of the Week
February 18th - Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis
February 11th - Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
February 4th - Ryan Anderson, California
January 27th - Jerryd Bayless, FR, Arizona
January 20th – Davon Jefferson, FR, USC
January 13th – Michael Beasley, FR, Kansas State
January 6th - Shan Foster, SR, Vanderbilt
December 30th - Brian Butch, SR, Wisconsin
December 23rd - Dwayne Curtis, SR, F, Mississippi
December 16th - Gary Forbes, SR, F, UMASS
December 9th - Joe Alexander, JR, F, West Virginia
December 2nd - Jerryd Bayless, FR, G, Arizona
November 25th - DJ Augustin, SO, G, Texas
November 18th - Jon Brockman, JR, F, Washington
November 11th - Michael Beasley, FR, F, Kansas State

Player of the Week: Al Fisher

Jeff Borzello — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:57:17 -0800

Player of the Week: Chris Douglas-Roberts

Jeff Borzello — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 18:52:58 -0800

Despite the fact that Memphis had played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, there were still several lingering questions facing the Tigers. People wanted to know how they would react if they played a good team in a tough environment, or what they would do down the stretch of a tight games. This week was the perfect week for the Tigers to answer all those questions. They faced the two best teams in the Conference-USA (besides Memphis, of course) – Houston at home and UAB on the road. Well, they passed both tests, overcoming two halftime deficits to pick-up a couple of more wins towards their quest for an undefeated season. The main reason for the 2-0 week? Chris Douglas-Roberts.

Douglas-Roberts, a 6-foot-7 junior swingman, had an outstanding week, cementing himself as the Tigers’ go-to-guy in the clutch. He had a very solid game against Houston, scoring 22 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out three assists, but saved his best for when the team needed it the most – against UAB. The Blazers looked they were going to be the first team to knock off the unbeaten Tigers, but CDR wouldn’t let it happen. Down four with under a minute left, he knocked down a three then – after Robert Vaden hit one of two free-throws for UAB – converted an acrobatic three-point play with just six seconds left to give the Tigers the one-point win. He finished with 32 points, seven rebounds and two assists, and also didn’t commit a single turnover. Overall, Douglas-Roberts averaged 27 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 blocks per game on the week.

Memphis faces its toughest test of the season next weekend, when Tennessee comes to town in what might be the most anticipated non-conference game of the season. The Tigers have six regular-season games left and then the Conference-USA Tournament – can they run the table and go undefeated? If Douglas-Roberts plays the way he did the past week, it’s a definite possibility. On the season, he is averaging 17.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

2007-08 Collegehoops.net Players of the Week
February 11th - Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
February 4th - Ryan Anderson, California
January 27th - Jerryd Bayless, FR, Arizona
January 20th – Davon Jefferson, FR, USC
January 13th – Michael Beasley, FR, Kansas State
January 6th - Shan Foster, SR, Vanderbilt
December 30th - Brian Butch, SR, Wisconsin
December 23rd - Dwayne Curtis, SR, F, Mississippi
December 16th - Gary Forbes, SR, F, UMASS
December 9th - Joe Alexander, JR, F, West Virginia
December 2nd - Jerryd Bayless, FR, G, Arizona
November 25th - DJ Augustin, SO, G, Texas
November 18th - Jon Brockman, JR, F, Washington
November 11th - Michael Beasley, FR, F, Kansas State

Player of the Week: Tyler Hansbrough

Jeff Borzello — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 08:40:10 -0800

Sometimes, when it comes to selecting a Player of the Week, there are simply performances that you can’t ignore. Usually, a player that leads his team to two big wins with two outstanding games gets more consideration than a player who is padding his stats in losses. This week was different, however. Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina was just unbelievable. Yes, the Tar Heels went just 1-1 during the two games they had this week, but Hansbrough did everything he could – and then some – in an attempt to will UNC over the top.

Hansbrough, the 6-foot-9 junior big man, was a monster this week, averaging 33.5 points, 15.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. North Carolina did lose to Duke on Wednesday, but it certainly wasn’t Hansbrough’s fault, as he finished with 28 points and 18 rebounds. Sunday’s double-overtime thriller over Clemson produced an even more memorable performance from Hansbrough – he finished with 39 points, 13 rebounds and three steals. Moreover, he shot an astounding 19 free throws against the Tigers, knocking down 17 of them. On the week, Hansbrough shot 21 for 28 (75 percent) from the free-throw line and shot 62 percent from the field (23 for 37).

The main source for the Tar Heels’ struggles this week was the absence of point guard Ty Lawson, who has been out with an ankle injury. Hansbrough did his best to make up for the lost production, but he can’t duplicate the impact Lawson has at both ends of the floor. Once Lawson returns, it could give Hansbrough even more opportunities for big games, as the defenses won’t be able to key in on him. UNC has just seven games left – and don’t be surprised if Hansbrough has already circled the March 9 return date at Cameron Indoor Stadium for a repeat performance against the Blue Devils.

2007-08 Collegehoops.net Players of the Week
February 4th - Ryan Anderson, California
January 27th - Jerryd Bayless, FR, Arizona
January 20th – Davon Jefferson, FR, USC
January 13th – Michael Beasley, FR, Kansas State
January 6th - Shan Foster, SR, Vanderbilt
December 30th - Brian Butch, SR, Wisconsin
December 23rd - Dwayne Curtis, SR, F, Mississippi
December 16th - Gary Forbes, SR, F, UMASS
December 9th - Joe Alexander, JR, F, West Virginia
December 2nd - Jerryd Bayless, FR, G, Arizona
November 25th - DJ Augustin, SO, G, Texas
November 18th - Jon Brockman, JR, F, Washington
November 11th - Michael Beasley, FR, F, Kansas State

CollegeHoops.net Player of the Week: Ryan Anderson

Jeff Borzello — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:35:47 -0800

The month of February is when teams begin to either separate themselves from the pack or fall out of the picture. Likewise, it is when star players step-up and carry their respective teams to key wins on the road or last-second victories at home. Those All-American candidates are usually the difference between a bubble team spending March in the NIT or creating major problems in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament. Last week, California was one of those teams that looked poised to make a move into the at-large picture. The main reason? Ryan Anderson.

Anderson, a 6-foot-10 sophomore forward, has been outstanding all season for the Golden Bears, although it has gone largely unnoticed by much of the country. However, that may have all changed last week when Cal made its annual road trip – without star big man DeVon Hardin – to the Pacific Northwest to take on Washington and Washington State. In the two big wins, Anderson averaged 30 points and 14 rebounds per game, shooting 63 percent from the field. He also was perfect from the free-throw line (11 for 11) and knocked down 64 percent of his three-point attempts (9 for 14). In the game against No. 9 Washington State, Anderson struggled with foul trouble, but scored four straight points in the final minute to give Cal the win. He played all 40 minutes in the win over Washington.

With the two big wins, California moves to 4-5 in the Pac-10 and right back in the thick of the Pac-10 race at the halfway point. If Anderson continues to play the way he has been, the Golden Bears will certainly make a run in February. Five of their last seven games are on the road, but they showed last week that they can pick up victories away from home. As for Anderson, I don’t think national attention will be a problem anymore. On the season, he is now averaging 22.2 points and 10.0 rebounds, while shooting nearly 53 percent from the field and 48 percent from behind the arc.

2007-08 Collegehoops.net Players of the Week
January 27th - Jerryd Bayless, FR, Arizona

January 20^th – Davon Jefferson, FR, USC

January 13th – Michael Beasley, FR, Kansas State

January 6th - Shan Foster, SR, Vanderbilt
December 30th - Brian Butch, SR, Wisconsin
December 23rd - Dwayne Curtis, SR, F, Mississippi
December 16th - Gary Forbes, SR, F, UMASS
December 9th - Joe Alexander, JR, F, West Virginia
December 2nd - Jerryd Bayless, FR, G, Arizona
November 25th - DJ Augustin, SO, G, Texas
November 18th - Jon Brockman, JR, F, Washington
November 11th - Michael Beasley, FR, F, Kansas State

CollegeHoops.net Player of the Week: Jerryd Bayless

Jeff Borzello — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 20:48:41 -0800

With conference play heating up and teams having to rely more and more on their star players, marquee performances have been frequent over the past few weeks. Any league road trip is certainly not a cakewalk and rivalry games make winning at home that much more difficult. As a result, big-time players are having big-time games more often, making choosing a Player of the Week harder than ever. This week, several players had standout weeks, including UCLA’s Kevin Love, who averaged an unbelievable 21 points and 19.5 rebounds in two games. However, the most impressive combination of games came from a familiar face – Arizona freshman guard Jerryd Bayless.

Arizona came into the season as something of a mystery team – no one really knew what to expect after the loss of several upperclassmen. Then head coach Lute Olson took a leave of absence. Throughout all of this, though, Arizona persevered, winning nine of its first 11. The one thing it couldn’t overcome? An injury to Bayless. The Wildcats were just 1-3 in his absence; since his return, they are 4-1 with the lone loss by four points on the road at Stanford. This week, Arizona knocked off Washington State and Washington by a combined 27 points, thanks mostly to Bayless. He scored 49 points and dished out 12 assists in the two games, committing just four turnovers. Furthermore, he shot 65 percent (15 of 27) from the field, 67 percent (8 of 12) from three-point land and 100 percent (11 for 11) from the free-throw line. Needless to say, it was a fantastic week for Bayless and the Wildcats.

With the recent stretch of victories, Arizona has catapulted itself into the race for a top-three finish in the Pac-10. Additionally, the Selection Committee is bound to take into account the injury to Bayless when assessing the Wildcats’ seeding for the NCAA Tournament. With him, Arizona is 13-3 with the three losses by a combined 11 points to Kansas, Stanford and Virginia. Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon and O.J. Mayo all receive more recognition as top freshmen guards, but it’s time to make room for Bayless in the discussion.

2007-08 Collegehoops.net Players of the Week
January 20^th – Davon Jefferson, FR, USC

January 13th – Michael Beasley, FR, Kansas State

Player of the Week: Davon Jefferson

Jeff Borzello — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 20:30:29 -0800

With the constant attention surrounding a handful of freshmen, many other talented newcomers get overlooked. That is the case with this week’s Player of the Week, USC forward Davon Jefferson. The 6-foot-8 rookie doesn’t get much press recognition across the country because of teammate O.J. Mayo, a media magnet who has been covered and followed since he was in middle school. Fortunately for the Trojans, Jefferson came out of the shadows for his biggest game of the season in their upset win over UCLA on Saturday. He beat out a host of other tremendous performances to win this week’s honors.

Heading into Saturday’s road game against the Bruins, Jefferson was struggling. He had reached double-figures in scoring in just two of his past five games, and was suspended for one game because of a “coach’s decision.” That all changed this weekend. Jefferson finished with 25 points, nine rebounds and shot 10 of 15 from the field. He also had the game-clinching basket, an outstanding dunk over UCLA freshman stud Kevin Love to ice the game. Jefferson was constantly getting easy baskets around the rim due to his athleticism and versatility, and was beating UCLA’s forwards down court for transition points. More than anyone else (not including the entire defense), Jefferson was the biggest reason for USC’s shocking win in Pauley Pavilion.

Of course, since USC is in the Pac-10, things don’t get much easier for Jefferson and the Trojans. He will have to go up against two versatile frontcourt players in Malik Hairston and Maarty Leunen when they face Oregon this weekend, and will face tough match-ups the rest of the season. However, Jefferson will need to stay focused in order for USC to build off this win. He is supremely talented but tends to be inconsistent – something that the Trojans can’t afford down the stretch.

2007-08 Collegehoops.net Players of the Week
January 13th – Michael Beasley, FR, Kansas State

CollegeHoops.net Player of the Week: Michael Beasley

Jeff Borzello — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 21:44:27 -0800

When it comes to doing a Player of the Week, it is often very difficult to find the one player that was truly the best player during that week. Players from smaller conferences get overlooked at times, and players that put up huge numbers in losing efforts don’t even get much of a glance. When choosing one, we like to look at players who put up big numbers in multiple games throughout the week; did it against good competition; and helped their team win. However, with that criterion, it often knocks several deserving players out. Clemson’s Trevor Booker and Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin both had huge weeks, but their teams both lost a game. This week came down to Indiana’s D.J. White, Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert and Kansas State’s Michael Beasley. Although it may seem like the easy way out, the choice for this week was Beasley over the other two star big men.

Beasley, who began his career with a bang earlier this season when he jumped out of the gate with a 32-point, 24-rebound effort in his debut, is the first repeat winner of CHN Player of the Week honors. This week, he averaged 28.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and two blocks per game, as he helped lead the Wildcats to wins over Savannah State and Oklahoma. Sure, Savannah State isn’t a very good team by any stretch, but KSU held them to just 25 points in a dominating performance. Against Oklahoma, Beasley out dueled fellow rookie Blake Griffin, and hit a game-winning shot with 2.3 seconds left to pull off the upset on the road. Furthermore, Beasley shot a phenomenal 76 percent from the field in the two games. On the season, the 6-9 freshman is averaging 24.8 points and 13.1 rebounds.

As the season gets deeper into conference play and more towards March and Selection Sunday, it will be interesting how Beasley plays in the Big 12. He did very well against Oklahoma, obviously, but will he be able to sustain the unbelievable 25 and 13 he is averaging? Against arguably the four toughest teams on the schedule, Beasley is averaging a more pedestrian 16.8 points and 12 rebounds per game. Of course, he is one of the best players in the country, but going against guys like Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson, Damion James and Gary Johnson, Joseph Jones, Aleks Maric, etc. are going to be tough tests for the newcomer.

2007-08 Collegehoops.net Players of the Week
January 6th - Shan Foster, SR, Vanderbilt
December 30th - Brian Butch, SR, Wisconsin
December 23rd - Dwayne Curtis, SR, F, Mississippi
December 16th - Gary Forbes, SR, F, UMASS
December 9th - Joe Alexander, JR, F, West Virginia
December 2nd - Jerryd Bayless, FR, G, Arizona
November 25th - DJ Augustin, SO, G, Texas
November 18th - Jon Brockman, JR, F, Washington
November 11th - Michael Beasley, FR, F, Kansas State