Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
Bryce McBride, Eastern Michigan, Guard
Junior, Jackson, Tenn. (Southside)
Junior captain Bryce McBride was outstanding for Eastern Michigan in its pair of wins over Niagara, Dec. 8, and Florida International, Dec. 11. With its unblemished week, the Eagles are now in the midst of a season-best three-game win streak.
McBride was critical to EMU’s victories in both contests. The Jackson, Tenn. native began the week with a team-best 19 point performance. That effort, his second-best of the season, saw him convert on 63% of his shots and hit a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe.
Even better on Saturday, McBride help lead the Eagles to victory in the program’s first-ever 4OT game, a win which came against one of the nation’s hottest teams, the Florida International Panthers; FIU entered the contest on a seven-game win streak. McBride chipped in 15 in front of a nearly 4,000-member crowd at the newly-named George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti. The special day featured the return of The Iceman to campus and the surprise renaming announcement. McBride played a whopping 49 minutes off the bench, including every second of the four extra periods that culminated with an EMU victory, 92-88.
Other Nominee’s
Tyler Cochran, Ball State, Guard
Junior, Bolingbrook, Ill. (Bolingbrook)
He led BSU averaging 14.5 points per game for the week. He also led the squad with six steals. Cochran tied for the team lead in points with 10 and added a team-high four steals against Xavier. Cochran led the way with 19 points and added a game-high two steals to go along with his two rebounds and two assists against IU Kokomo. Cochran has now scored in double figures in four of the last five games.
Chandler Turner, Bowling Green, Forward
Junior, Detroit, Mich. (Renaissance)
Bowling Green Junior Chandler Turner stepped up off the bench for the Falcons in the win against Oakland on Tuesday (Dec. 7), helping BGSU extend their win streak to three while snapping the Golden Grizzlies' five-game win streak. In the game Turner posted a career-high 23 points, the second-highest scoring game for the Falcons this season. He also added eight rebounds to his stat line, a season-high for him.
Josh Mballa, Buffalo, Forward
Senior Bordeaux, France (Putnum Science Academy)
Senior Josh Mballa led the Bulls to a pair of wins this past week, including a huge road victory at Western Kentucky on Wednesday night. Mballa led UB with 19 points and nine rebounds in the victory over the Hilltoppers, including going a perfect 3-of-3 from behind the arc. On Saturday, Mballa added 18 points and seven boards against St. John Fisher, despite playing just 23 minutes. Mballa shot .636 from the floor and defensively he recorded five steals.
JT Shumate, Toledo, Forward
Junior, Newark, Ohio (Newark)
Junior forward JT Shumate averaged a team-high 18.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg in Toledo‘s two games last week. Shumate also posted a 57.6 FG% (15-of-26) and 50.0 3PTFG% (6-of-12). Shumate tallied 18 points and a team-high nine rebounds in a 67-65 home win over Bradley. He then capped off his week with an 18-point, seven-rebound effort in a 72-69 loss at Richmond.
