Mid-American Conference

MAC Men’s Basketball East Division Player of the Week
Shannon Evans, Buffalo, Guard
Sophomore, Suffolk, VA/Nansemond River
Evans led the Bulls to a pair of victories this past week as averaged 13.5 points and 8.0 assists per game.  Evans became the first UB player since Jarod Oldham during the 2011-12 season to record at least eight assists in back-to-back games.  In the win over Drexel, Evans had a total all-around contest as he finished with five rebounds and seven points in addition to his eight assists.  He joined teammate Lamonte Bearden, who also dished out eight dimes in the game.  Against Big 4 rival Niagara, Evans had eight more assists, but this time added 20 points, doing most of his damage from the free throw line, where he was 12-of-13.  Overall, Evans finished the week with 16 assists, while recording just five turnovers combined over the two games.  Evans is currently second on the Bulls in scoring at 14.8 points per game and his 5.2 assists per game are currently second in the MAC.

MAC Men’s Basketball West Division Player of the Week
Name, School, Position: Julius Brown, Toledo, Guard
Year, Hometown/High School: Senior, Markham, IL/Hillcrest
Senior guard Julius Brown averaged 21.0 ppg and 4.5 apg and shot an impressive 60.0 percent from the field and 64.3 percent (9-of-14) from three-point range to lead the Rockets to wins over Robert Morris and McNeese State this week. Brown scored a season-high 27 points, the second-highest total in the MAC this season, and dished out five assists vs. the Colonials. He was red-hot from the field, making 10-of-12 shots as well as 7-of-8 attempts from behind the three-point arc. In UT’s road win over the Cowboys, Brown scored 15 points and dished out four assists.


Other Top Performances
Richaun Holmes, Bowling Green, Forward
Senior, Lockport, Ill./Lockport
Holmes matched his career-high with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting and 8-of-11 from the free throw line in the Falcons lone contest on the week. Holmes also totaled nine rebounds, five of which were on the offensive glass. The 6-8 senior forward had two alley-oop dunks in the first half and two more throw down slams in the second half to lead the Falcons in scoring. Holmes leads the team in scoring (14.0 points per game), rebounding (9.1 rebounds per game) and blocked shots per game (2.3 per game).

Rayshawn Simmons, Central Michigan, Guard
Junior, St. Louis, Mo./Moberly Area CC
Simmons had a standout week, averaging 14 points, 4.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game, leading Central Michigan to a 2-0 record and helping to build on the Chippewas best start to a season in 40 years. On the road at Northwestern on Tuesday, Simmons was a key part of CMU’s three-guard attack that dominated the matchup with the Wildcats. Simmons scored a career high 13 points to go along with 5 assists, as CMU upset NU for its first win over a Big Ten opponent since 2007. Just two days later versus Concordia, Simmons was in top form again, breaking his previous career scoring high, dropping in 15 points as the Chippewas earned a 37-point win. The junior also added 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block. Simmons, who has started all nine games this season, has proven to be one of CMU’s most versatile and well-rounded players this season. He is averaging 8.0 points, 3.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds and is shooting 91 percent from the free throw line.

Raven Lee, Eastern Michigan, Guard
Redshirt-Sophomore, Detroit, Mich./Romulus
Lee led the Eagles to a 1-1 split record last week, including a 77-65 victory over Missouri Valley Conference foe Missouri State Saturday afternoon, Dec. 20. Overall, Lee averaged 13 points, three assists, one rebound and one steal per game while knocking down 41.7 percent (5-of-12) of his three-point shots in 12 attempts from beyond the arc.

Devareaux Manley, Kent State, Guard
Oakland, Calif./Castlemont
Manley averaged 16.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in leading Kent State to a pair of victories. Manley had a career night on Friday, pouring in 24 points and making 7 of 10 three-point attempts to help the Golden Flashes pull away late in a 71-57 win over North Carolina A&T. He added 8 points and a season-high in a 53-52 victory over North Dakota State in the opening round of the Sun Bowl Invitational on Sunday. Manley connected on a key three-point field goal with 6:44 remaining that tied the game and started a 7-0 run for Kent State. In two games, Manley shot 56.3% from the three-point arc.

Eric Washington, Miami, Guard
Junior, Columbia, SC/Keenan
McKnight had an impressive night against Longwood on Wednesday. McKnight tied a career high he set earlier this season with 19 points and also tied a career high with five steals to lead Miami to a 71-60 win over the Lancers. It snapped a six-game losing streak for the RedHawks. He shot a scorching 80 percent from the floor, going 8-for-10 from the field. He was perfect inside the arc with his only two misses coming from 3-point range. His eight field goals were also a career high.

Maurice Ndour, Ohio, F
Sr., Mbour, Senegal/Okayama Gakugeikan
Ndour led Ohio with 14 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and two blocks in the Ohio men’s basketball team’s (3-4) 81-69 overtime loss at Evansville (8-2) last Thursday (Dec. 18) at the Ford Center. Ndour recorded his third double-double of the season and seventh of his career. He's achieved double-digit points six times this season -- including three straight games -- and 31 times in his career and double-digit rebounds four times this season and 10 times in his career.

Tucker Haymond, Western Michigan, Forward
Sophmore, Seattle, Wash. / Garfield
Haymond turned in a team-best performance in the scorebook on Saturday, notching 12 points on an efficient 5 of 7 shooting performance against Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena.  He buried his first two shots of the game, three-pointers from the left corner, and continued to bedevil the Wildcats over the course of the game.  Haymond has been on a good upward trajectory as of late; he recorded just six double-digit scoring performances last year, but has already notched five this season.  He ranks second on the team with 13.3 points per game and a 53.8 field goal percentage.  His 5.5 rebounds per game also ranks second on the Broncos.