Courtesy of PatriotLeague.org
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Bucknell swept the Patriot League The Rock Weekly Awards, as senior forward Zach Thomas captured his second The Rock Player of the Week honor and freshman guard Jimmy Sotos claimed his first The Rock Rookie of the Week award, when it was announced by the League office on Monday.
Thomas averaged 28.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists over three Bucknell victories, including a career-high 38-point outburst in a win over Stony Brook on Sunday. Sotos scored in double-figures in each of the three Bison victories last week for his first weekly honor.
Army West Point junior guard Jordan Fox earned a spot on this week’s honorable mention list, scoring 26 points, with six rebounds and five assists in a win over Columbia. Navy senior guard Shawn Anderson earned honorable mention, by averaging a team-leading 14.5 points during a 3-1 week, while topping 1,000 career points. American sophomore guard Sa’eed Nelson averaged 23.5 points to lead the Eagles to a 2-0 week, while Lafayette freshman guard Alex Petrie scored a career-high 25 points on 7-of-10 shooting from 3-point range to both make the weekly honorable mention list.
The Patriot League Men’s Basketball The Rock Player and Rookie of the Week awards are selected in a vote by League media members and each school’s sports information director, who are not eligible to vote for their own student-athletes.
PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL THE ROCK PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr., 6-7, Ijamsville, Md./Oaksdale
Thomas averaged 28.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists during a 3-0 week for Bucknell, as they defeated Siena, Ball State and Stony Brook. The senior forward scored a Patriot League season-high 38 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, dished out seven assists and had three steals in a victory over the Seawolves on Sunday. He finished with 22 points and eight rebounds in last Wednesday’s win over Ball State. Thomas opened last week with a 25-point, seven-rebound performance against Siena. This is Thomas’s second player of the week honor of the season and career.
PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL THE ROCK ROOKIE OF THE WEEK,
Jimmy Sotos, Bucknell, Fr., G, 6-3, Elk Grove, Ill./Conant
Sotos scored in double-figures in each of Bucknell’s three victories last week. The freshman guard had 10 points and five assists in a victory over Siena last Monday. He followed that up with 12 points on 8-of-10 free throw shooting in Wednesday’s win over Ball State. On Sunday, Sotos connected on all three of his shots from 3-point range to finish with 10 points and three assists in the win over Stony Brook.
WEEKLY HONORABLE MENTION
Jordan Fox, Army West Point, Jr., G, 6-1, Jackson Country, Ky./Jackson Country (USMAPS)
Fox, the reigning Patriot League The Rock Player of the Week, scored a game-high 26 points, while shooting 59 percent (10-of-17) from the floor in a victory over Columbia. The junior guard added six rebounds and five assists, while shooting 4-of-9 from 3-point range versus the Lions.
Shawn Anderson, Navy, Sr., G, 6-4, New Castle, Pa./New Castle
Anderson averaged a team-leading 14.5 points and 4.8 rebounds during Navy’s 3-1 week. The senior guard eclipsed 1,000 career points in the Mids’ game against Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday. Anderson scored 13 points, pulled down nine rebounds and dished out five assists in a win over St. Francis Brooklyn. He finished with 18 points and five rebounds in a victory against Denver.
Sa’eed Nelson, American, So., G, 6-1, Pleasantville, N.J./St. Augustine Prep
Nelson averaged 23.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in American’s 2-0 week, helping the team to victories over New Hampshire and VMI. Nelson had a career-high 26 points in a road win against UNH. He also finished with 21 points in the Eagles’ home-opening win over VMI.
Alex Petrie, Lafayette, Fr., G, 6-3, Midlothian, Va./St. Christopher’s
Petrie averaged 15.5 points per game during a 0-2 week for Lafayette. The freshman guard scored 25 points, going 7-for-10 from 3-point range in a loss to Saint Peter’s on Sunday. Petrie’s 25 points was the most by a Lafayette freshmen during the Patriot League era.
Previous Patriot League Men’s Basketball Weekly Award Winners
11.20 17
Player: Jordan Fox, Army West Point, Jr., G
Rookie: Jordan Burns, Colgate, Fr., G
11.13 17
Player: Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr., F
Rookie: Caleb Green, Holy Cross, Fr., G
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