MAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
Ryan Rollins, Toledo, Guard
Sophomore, Macomb, Mich. (Dakota)
Sophomore Ryan Rollins averaged 25.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 6.0 apg in victories over Ball State and Ohio last week to propel Toledo into first-place in the conference standings. Rollins also shot 58.1 percent (18-of-31) from the field, 45.5 percent (5-of-11) from three-point range and 75.0 percent (9-of-12) from the free-throw line. Rollins opened the week with 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in the Rockets’ 83-70 home win over Ball State. He knocked down 9-of-15 shots against the Cardinals and was instrumental in helping Toledo lead by as many as 27 points.
Rollins then tallied 26 points, six boards and five assists in a showdown for first place at Ohio. The Macomb, Mich. native buried two triples to give the Rockets an early lead they wouldn’t relinquish in an 87-69 road win. Rollins leads the MAC and ranks 25th nationally with 19.7 points per game and is second in the conference with 1.8 spg. He has shot 50 percent from the field in five straight games during which he is shooting 53.4 percent.
Other Nominees
Xavier Castaneda, Akron, Guard
Junior, Chicago, Ill. (Whitney Young)
The Akron Zips won three games in five days to improve to 12-5 overall and 5-2 in league play with very different victories. Castaneda played an important role in Akron’s 11-0 run with 2:40 left in the game for a comeback win at home against WMU, a 91-66 win on the road at BGSU and a 46-44 triumph over EMU at The JAR. He scored 42 total points throughout the week, averaging 14 points per game to go along with 15 assists (5.0 ast/g) and 10 rebounds (3.33 reb/g). Against WMU, Castaneda found Greg Tribble for a 3-point field goal that spearheaded te Zips’ 11-0 comeback. He deflected two passes that resulted in steals by tribble and led to two additional 3-point field goals, one by Ali Ali the other by Castaneda himself. He finished with 14 points on 5-of-12 (.417) shooting from the floor and 3-of-7 (.429) from deep with six assists and three rebounds.At Bowling Green, Castaneda issued six assists which helped teammate Bryan Trimble, Jr. knockdown 10 trifectas en route to a 25-point win. Castaneda added 14 points on 4-of-10 (.400) from the floor and 1-of-4 (.250) from long distance with three rebounds and two steals. The final game of the week, Castaneda scored 14 points in a defensive battle with Eastern Michigan for a two-point, low-scoring win. He went 5-of-12 (.417) from the field and 4-of-7 (.571) from long distance with four rebounds and three assists. He scored 11 points of the Zips’ 23 points in the first half to keep the Zips within six points as EMU led 29-23 at the break.
Payton Sparks, Ball State, C
Freshman, Winchester, Ind. (Winchester)
Payton Sparks led Ball State against Toledo with 17 points and 14 rebounds. He recorded his third-straight double-double. He added a block. He drew a game-high six fouls. Sparks collected eight offensive and six defensive rebounds.
Daeqwon Plowden, Bowling Green, Forward
Senior, Philadelphia, Pa. (Mastery Charter North)
Daeqwon Plowden had a career-week for the Falcons. He began by scoring 17 points in the second half alone against Northern Illinois on Tuesday (Jan. 18) while adding six rebounds and two blocks in the road win for BGSU. He continued his strong week with 20 points and seven rebounds, five offensive, against Akron on Thursday (Jan. 20) in his 100th career start as a Falcon. The week rounded out for Plowden with his second straight 20-point game, going for 23 against Western Michigan while shooting a season-best 80% from the field. Plowden again added seven rebounds, leading the team, in the second straight road victory for the Falcons. For the week as a whole, Plowden averaged 20 points per game while moving up to 16th all-time on the BGSU career scoring list and sixth on both the all-time rebounds and all-time blocks lists.
Jeenathan Williams, Buffalo, Forward
Senior Rochester, NY (Prolific Prep)
Senior Jeenathan Williams helped lead the Bulls to their fourth win in a row as he had 25 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and three steals in Buffalo's lone game of the week, a 64-51 win against Kent State. Williams scored 11 points early as the Bulls got out to a quick first half lead. Williams leads the Bulls in scoring and is second on the team in rebounding.
Bryce McBride, Eastern Michigan, Guard
Junior, Jackson, Tenn.-Southside-Dyersburg State C.C.
Junior guard Bryce McBride accounted for 33 percent of Eastern Michigan's offense for the week, as he tallied 30 points in a pair of games against Kent State, Jan. 18, and Akron, Jan. 22. Most of McBride's success came at the free-throw line, as he was a perfect 14-for-14. In 31 minutes of action per game, McBride had to set up when the short-handed Eagles were playing without their top-two scorers. Against Kent State, McBride made a career-best 13 free throws. Overall, McBride was 13-of-13 from the line en route to 20 points off the bench for the Green and White. He is the first EMU player since 1999 to go a perfect 13-for-13 from the line and just the ninth player to turn in a perfect day while attempting more than 10 free throws. Furthermore, the 13 free throws made were the most by an EMU player since Raven Lee sank 14 in a contest at SMU, Nov. 13, 2016. That day, Lee went 14-for-16 against the Mustangs in Dallas.
Dalonte Brown, Miami, Forward
Senior, Toledo, Ohio (Bowsher)
Dalonte Brown hit the game-winning three-pointer with 0.8 seconds left in an 85-82 overtime thriller against Northern Illinois. Brown also hit the game-tying triple with 11 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime as the RedHawks erased 15-point deficit late in the second half. He led Miami with 24 points against the Huskies, scoring 20 points over the second half and overtime. Brown went 10-of-17 (.588) from the floor, while shooting 3-of-6 (.500) from three-point range for the game. He added a team-high-tying seven rebounds against the Huskies. For the week, Brown averaged 15.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg while shooting 47.8 percent from the field for the RedHawks in a pair of games.
Keshawn Williams, NIU, Guard
Sophomore, Chicago Heights, Ill. (Bloom)
NIU’s Keshawn Williams averaged an astounding 30.0 points per game, shooting 71 percent (22-of-31) from the field and 83.3 percent (10-of-12) from three-point range in a pair of games against Bowling Green and Miami. The Chicago Heights, Ill., native opened the week with a career-high 32 points against the Falcons, going 10-of-12 from the floor, including 5-of-6 from three, with four steals and three rebounds. His 32 points are the most by a Huskie in a game since Eugene German netted 33 points on Nov. 28, 2018. Williams added another 28 points against Miami as he went 10-of-15 from the field against the RedHawks, including 5-of-6 from three, with a pair of rebounds and a pair of assists.
Ben Vander Plas, Ohio, Forward
RS Senior, Ripon, Wis. (Ripon)
Redshirt senior Ben Vander Pls led the Bobcats over the last week, helping Ohio go to 1-1 on the week and increase their record to 14-3 on the season. Overall, Vander Plas averaged 17.5 points per game, while shooting .583 from the field, .385 from three and hit two of four free throws. He averaged 6.5 rebounds, dished out 1.5 assists per game and grabbed 2.5 steals in 34.4 minutes on the court. On Jan. 18 at Miami, Vander Plas was stellar, scoring 23 points, 20 of which came in the first half alone. He went 9-of-13 from the field, 4-of-8 from three and 1-of-2 from the line. He grabbed six rebounds, dished out three assists, had on block and four steals in only 29 minutes on the court. Vander Plas' performance led Ohio to an 86-63 victory over the RedHawks. Vander Plas returned to action on Jan 21 against Toledo, scoring 12 points, going 5-of-11 from the field, hit one three and one free throw. He grabbed seven rebounds and had on steal in 39 minutes of action.
Lamar Norman, Junior, Western Michigan
Guard, Junior, Grand Rapids, Mich. (Godwin Heights)
Lamar Norman Jr. averaged 19.5 points on 40.5 percent shooting in Western Michigan's two games last week. The junior guard also added 3.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, and did not commit a turnover in 72 minutes of action. In WMU's road visit to Akron, Norman had 19 points and made five three-pointers on nine attempts (55.6 percent) while tying his career high with four assists. On Saturday against Bowling Green, he extended his double-digit scoring streak to 15 in a row with a team-high 20 points. He also added four rebounds, three steals and three assists in the contest.
