Men’s Basketball East Division Co-Players of the Week
Danny Pippen, Kent State, Forward
Junior, Detroit, Mich.
Pippen helped improve the Flashes to 3-0 after wins over Towson and Wright State last week. In the 84-80 win over Towson, Pippen scored a season-high 17 points while also blocking a game and season-high blocked shots. Pippen also grabbed six rebounds and had one takeaway. The junior was also a key player in the 72-71 win over Wright State as he drained the game-winning three-pointer with eight seconds left to secure the win for Kent State. The Flashes were down by as much as 16 points in the game and came back to win. In the game, Pippen scored 13 points, had six rebounds, and added a block.
Jason Preston, Ohio, Guard
Sophomore, Orlando, Fla./Boone (Believe Sports Academy)
Preston kept up his hot start to the season this past week. Overall, Preston averaged 21.5 points per game, while grabbing 8.5 rebounds, dished out 6.5 assists and grabbed two three steals and had one block. Overall, Preston shot 51.4 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three-point range and was perfect from the charity stripe. On Nov. 13 at Iona, Preston was unstoppable, recording career highs in points (27) and rebounds (14), for his third double double of the season. He also dished out five assists and had two steals in the 81-72 victory. Preston went 10-of-17 from the field, 2-of-4 from three-point range and 5-of-5 from the free throw line while playing all 40 minutes. On Nov. 16 at No. 10 Villanova, Preston was steady, scoring 16 points, while grabbing three rebounds and dishing out eight assists with one steal, while going 8-of-18 from the field in 36 minutes on the court.
Men’s Basketball West Division Player of the Week
Tahjai Teague, Ball State, Forward
Redshirt Senior, Indianapolis, Ind. (Pike)
Teague led Ball State to a 2-0 week with a pair of double-digit wins, one on the road at UIC and one on a neutral floor against Indiana State. The fifth-year senior averaged a near double-double at 20 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He also stuffed the stat sheet for averages of two assists, two blocks and two steals per contest. Teague went for 18 points and nine rebounds in Wednesday’s 67-48 win at Horizon League preseason No. 3 pick UIC. He then racked up 22 points, 10 boards and three blocks Sunday to lead BSU to its third straight victory over rival Indiana State. He hit 10-of-13 from the floor in a 69-55 win over the Sycamores at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The preseason all-conference pick is averaging 17.8 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 57.7 percent from the floor to lead Ball State through four games.
Luke Knapke, Toledo, Center
Senior, Maria Stein, Ohio (Marion Local)
Knapke averaged a double-double with 18.0 ppg and 10.0 rpg to go along with 2.0 bpg in Toledo’s victories over Robert Morris and Howard this weekend. Knapke also was efficient shooting the ball as well from the paint with a 52.6 FG% (10-of-19) and the perimeter with 55.6 three-point FG% (5-of-9). Knapke opened the weekend with a double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds) in Toledo’s 70-56 win over Robert Morris. He then tallied a season-high 21 points, eight boards and three blocked shots in the Rockets’ 112-68 victory over Howard on Sunday. In UT’s win over the Bison, Knapke became the 47th Rocket to reach the 1,000-point plateau and now has 1,008 points in his collegiate career.
Other Top Performances
Tyler Cheese, Akron, Guard
Senior, Albany, Ga.
Cheese led the Zips to a 57-47 win over NC Central on Friday with 20 points and a career-high nine rebounds. He shot 4-of-10 (.400) from the floor and 2-of-6 (.333) from deep. In addition, Cheese made a career-best seven trips to the free throw line and knocked down 10 free throws. He added three assists and two blocked shots.
Justin Turner, Bowling Green, Guard
Redshirt-Junior, Detroit, Mich.
Turner averaged 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists in Bowling Green's 2-0 week. In the Falcons' win over Jacksonville on Nov. 11, Turner fell two assists shy of recording the program's first triple-double since 2007. Turner finished the contest with 15 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high eight assists. His 11 rebounds tied a career best. The effort marked the third double-double of his career. Turner concluded the week with 16 points, four rebounds and four assists in a victory over Fairmont State.
Ronaldo Segu, Buffalo, Guard
Sophomore, Orlando, FL (Orlando Christian Prep)
Segu had the best week of his young career as he averaged 19.0 points per game during a pair of UB victories, including being named the player of the game vs, Harvard at the James Naismith Hall of Fame Classic. In the win over preseason Ivy League favorite Harvard, Segu had a career high 21 points, while adding five rebounds and six assists. He was extremely efficient from the floor during the two games, shooting just under 86% as he was 12-of-14 and he was 8-of-9 from three point range. Segu was also a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Over the two games he combined for 12 assists and just turnovers.
David DiLeo, Central Michigan, Forward
Senior, Iowa City, Iowa (New Hampton School [N.H.])
DiLeo led CMU (3-0) in scoring for the third-straight game, posting 17 points in the Chippewas' 84-77 come-from-behind win over defending Southland Conference champion Sam Houston State. DiLeo was 5-of-9 overall from the field, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. His 3-pointer with 4:02 remaining was a major momentum shifter in CMU's favor, as it pulled the Chippewas within 2 at 70-68 and sparked a 19-7 run that put the game away. DiLeo leads the MAC in scoring, averaging 23.0 points per game, and in 3-pointers with 15.
Yeikson Montero, Eastern Michigan, Guard
Junior, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (Redemption Christian Academy)
Montero was impressive for Eastern Michigan in three games against Goshen College, Nov. 12, the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Nov. 14, and the University of North Texas, Nov. 16. Despite be tasked with playing three games in five days, Montero remained incredibly efficient, logging a 12.7 points, 4.0 rebound, 3.7 assist, and 3.0 steals per game average while contributing better than 22 minutes per contest as a starter for the Green and White. Through for games, Montero is averaging 12.3 points per contest, good for second on the team.
Dalonte Brown, Miami, Forward
Junior, Toledo, Ohio/Bowsher
Brown was Miami's leading scorer this week averaging 16.5 points per game. He contributed 17 points and four rebounds in the RedHawks' road victory at Purdue Fort Wayne on Wednesday. He was dominant in the victory over Alabama A&M on Saturday. Brown recorded a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. He also had four assists and two blocks in the win.
Eugene German, NIU, Guard
Senior, Gary, Ind. (21st Century Charter)
German helped guide NIU to a 2-1 record for the week as he averaged 22.7 points and 5.7 rebounds for the week. German scored 20-plus points in all three games, including 24 at Iowa State on November 12. German then scored 23 points with seven rebounds and three assists as the Huskies defeated Coppin State (Nov. 16). The senior from Gary, Ind., finished the week with 21 points in 25 minutes in a win over Rockford. In that contest, German moved into fifth on NIU's all-time scoring list, passing Leon Rodgers (1998-2002); German has 1,658 career points.
Brandon Johnson, Western Michigan, Forward
Redshirt Junior, Chicago, Ill. (Thea Bowman Leadership Academy)
In two games against opponents from the State of Mississippi, Brandon Johnson nearly averaged a double-double with 20.5 points and 6.5 rebounds as WMU split its pair of games last week. Last week against Mississippi Valley State, Johnson was one rebound shy of a double-double, scoring 20 points along with nine rebounds on 63.6 percent shooting from the field. On Friday against the SEC’s, Ole Miss, Johnson led the Broncos, matching his career-high with 21 on a staggering 8-of-12 shooting from the field with two three-pointers. Johnson against the Rebels also corralled four rebounds in 24 minutes of action. On the season, Johnson ranks second on the team with 17.3 points per game and leads the team with 9.0 rebounds per game.
