Courtesy of NKUNorse.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Sophomore Drew McDonald of the Northern Kentucky men’s basketball team earned his third Horizon League Player of the Week honor while Carson Williams earned Co-Freshman of the Week recognition, marking the second-straight week Williams was recognized.
Williams split the final Freshman of the Week honor with UIC’s Tarkus Ferguson. He and McDonald led NKU to a 3-0 record last week, which included victories over three of the top-six League teams. The Norse defeated Wright State on Tuesday, UIC on Friday, and earned an 82-78 win over League-leading Valparaiso on Sunday.
The duo helped Northern Kentucky (21-10, 12-6) eclipse the 20-win plateau and finish tied for third in the Horizon League standings. NKU earned the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Little Caesars Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship by virtue of the tie-breaker.
McDonald totaled 68 points and 21 rebounds across the three victories, averaging 22.7 points per game last week. The Cold Spring, Kentucky, native scored at least 18 points in each contest and shot 61.5 percent from the floor and 94.4 percent at the line.
The sophomore poured in 27 total points and came one rebound shy of a double-double in a 90-82 win over UIC on Friday. He also fueled a pivotal 7-0 game-ending run against Wright State, contributing five points in the last minute to help seal an 83-76 win over the Raiders.
Williams averaged 10 points and five rebounds per game last week. In Sunday’s win over League-leading Valpo, the freshman posted 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor and a 7-of-7 showing from the line. Williams registered 30 total points and 15 rebounds on the week.
The honor is the third of the season for McDonald, while Williams earned Freshman of the Week recognition for the fourth time – the most of any Horizon League freshman.
The Northern Kentucky men’s basketball team earned the No. 4 seed in Motor City Madness, the league’s conference tournament, and will face rival Wright State on Sunday, March 5. Game time for the Norse and Raiders is set for 7:30 p.m. (ET) at historic Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
Leave a Reply