Walker Tallies Back to Back Player of the Week Honors
MAC East Division Player of the Week
Jaylin Walker, Kent State
Guard, Senior, Inkster, Mich.
Senior Jaylin Walker added to his total of 20+ scoring games during the week scoring 36 points against Toledo and 21 against Buffalo. In the game against Toledo, Walker tied his career-high with 36 points on 11-of-21 (52.3 percent) from the field and 7-of-14 (50 percent) from down town. After being down by 17 points in the second half, Walker ignited a late 13-3 scoring run, while hitting a floater that sent the game into overtime. With 15-seconds left, Walker hit the game-winning shot with a 15-footer that gave the Flashes their fourth conference win. Against Buffalo, Walker scored 21 points, ending the first half with 15. The senior guard grabbed a season-high eight rebounds while grabbing three steals. On the season, Walker leads the conference in scoring averaging 23.3 points per game on 109-of-245 (44.5 percent) shooting and 60-of-132 (45.5 percent) from long range. Walker now has 11 games of scoring 20 or more points.
MAC West Division Co-Player of the Week
Luke Knapke, Toledo
Center, Junior, Maria Stein, Ohio (Marion Local)
Junior center Luke Knapke nearly averaged a double-double last week after registering 21.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game to go along with a 62.1 field-goal percentage. Knapke also added 3.0 assists and 2.5 blocks per contest and was 2-of-4 from three-point range and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. Knapke opened the week by tallying a career-high 22 points and six rebounds in an 87-85 (OT) setback at Kent State. He then registered 21 points and a career-best 13 boards in a 76-72 home win over Central Michigan. He also paced the Rockets with four assists and four blocked shots. Knapke’s presence in the post helped UT register a school-record 11 blocked shots and own a 51-41 advantage in the rebounding department. With the score tied at 67-67, Knapke assisted on Jaelan Sanford’s go-ahead basket and his dunk with 15 seconds remaining put the Rockets up 71-67.
Seth Dugan, Western Michigan
Center, Senior, Otsego, Mich. (Otsego)
Seth Dugan posted double-doubles in both games over the week for the Broncos and averaged 26.0 points and 12.5 rebounds per contests. In the two games, Dugan shot a staggering 70 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free-throw line. At Ohio, Dugan registered 23 points and 15 rebounds on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. It was Dugan’s first 20-point performance since Dec. 1 against USC Upstate. Against Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Dugan led the way with 29 points, three shy of his career-high and 10 rebounds. Dugan was 12-of-16 from the field, matching his career-high with 12 field goals made. With eight double-doubles, Dugan ranks 3rd in the MAC and 31st in the NCAA. His eight double-doubles is the most by a Bronco in a season since Shayne Whittington had 14 back in 2013. Dugan is tied for the team lead with at 15.6 points per game this season.
Other Nominees
Tyler Cheese, Akron
Guard, Junior, Albany, Ga. (Albany HS | Florida Southwestern State)
Tyler Cheese helped lead the Zips to a 2-0 week by nearly averaging a double-double with 12.5 points and 9.0 rebounds. Cheese posted a career-high 20 points with 12 rebounds against Central Michigan to propel the Zips to a 70-67 win. He shot 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from the floor and buried 3-of-4 free throws to go along with two assists and a steal. Against Northern Illinois, Cheese collected six rebounds, four assists and two steals while adding five points the 67-65 triumph.
CJ Massinburg, Buffalo
Guard, Senior, Dallas, TX (South Oak Cliff)
Senior CJ Massinburg averaged 21.5 points and 7.5 rebounds this past week as Buffalo split a pair of road contest. On Tuesday, Massinburg helped UB come back from seven down with under two minutes left to tie the game back up late, capping it off with a long three pointer to tie the game up. He had 23 points, seven rebounds, and four assists that game. Massinburg led the Bulls to a road win at Kent State on Friday night as he added 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals. He has now scored 20 or more points in three straight games, the first Buffalo player since Wes Clark late last year.
Larry Austin Jr., Central Michigan
Guard, Senior, Springfield, Ill. (Vanderbilt)
Senior guard Larry Austin Jr. led Central Michigan in two MAC road games last week. On Tuesday at Akron, Austin scored a team-high 19 points to go along with six rebounds. On Saturday at Toledo, Austin led the Chippewas in points (18), rebounds (9) and assists (7). Austin is having a standout season is his lone go around in the maroon and gold. He leads the MAC in assists (5.6) and is ranked second in steals (2.3) and fifth in scoring (17.6 ppg).
James Thompson IV, Eastern Michigan
Forward, Senior, Baton Rouge, La. (Parkview Baptist)
Senior James Thompson IV once again proved to be the top of the elite big men in the MAC with a two double-double week. He proved to be the best big on the floor against Bowling Green, dropping in 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor (and 2-of-3 from beyond the three-point line) while also grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds. The Baton Rouge, La. native followed that up with a 14-point, 14-rebound showing at Western Michigan, helping the Eagles to their most lopsided win over the Broncos since 1996. For the week, Thompson shot .571 (12-of-21) from the floor, .500 (2-of-4) from the three-point line, and .800 (4-of-5) from the charity stripe. The forward also added to his MAC-leading offensive rebound total by pulling down 12 for the week, upping his average to the nation's second-best at 4.4.
Nike Sibande, Miami
Guard, Sophomore, Indianapolis, Ind. (Crispus Attucks)
Sibande was fantastic last week in helping lead Miami to a pair of MAC wins. He averaged 18.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in the victories, while hitting 50 percent (13-of-26) of his shots. It started on Tuesday when he scored 11 points despite being in foul trouble the entire game against Ball State. Sibande was even better against Bowling Green on Saturday, finishing with 25 points on 9-fo-17 shooting. He drained three 3-pointers in the victory. Sibande has scored in double figures in 16 out of Miami's 20 games this season.
Dante Thorpe, Northern Illinois
Guard, Senior, Washington, D.C. (Triton College)
NIU senior Dante Thorpe scored 23 points to lead the way as the Huskies upset 14th-ranked Buffalo last Tuesday. Thorpe averaged 19.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game for the week, shooting 65 percent from the field, including 60 percent from three-point range and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line. In the Huskie victory against Buffalo, Thorpe netted 23 points, going 7-of-8 from the field and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line as NIU earned its third win over a ranked opponent in school history. Thorpe followed up that performance with 16 points and four rebounds at Akron.
Gavin Block, Ohio
Forward/Guard, Senior, Lincoln, Ill. / Lincoln Community
Senior guard/forward Gavin Block led the Bobcats offensively this past week, leading the Bobcats to a 2-0 week. Overall, Block averaged 15.5 points per game, shot .526 from the field, .500 from three-point range (8-of-16) and .750 from the free throw line. He averaged 2.0 rebounds, had eight assists to go along with one block and three steals. On Jan. 22 against WMU, Block led the Bobcats back from an early 15-1 deficit, in the end defeating the Broncos, 81-76. Block scored 16 points, going 5-of-9 from the field, all of them three-pointers, while grabbing one rebound, dishing out five assists, recording three steals and one block in 28 minutes. Then on Jan. 26 against Ball State, Block scored 15 points, going 5-of-10 from the field, and 3-of-7 from three point range, including the game winner, with the Bobcats down one with 39 second left, Block would drain the shot form the top of the key, helping the Bobcats to the 78-74 victory. He also grabbed three rebounds and had three assists in 29 minutes.
