Senior of the week: This week’s senior of the week goes to the player who also took home the Summit League Player of the Week award in Rocky Kreuser. The stretch 5 from NDSU had an incredibly efficient day going 7-8 from the floor including a perfect 4-4 from 3-point land in route to scoring a season-high 21 points to go along with 7 rebounds. Potentially more important than the stats were the two posterizing dunks Kreuser threw down against the TCU Horned Frogs, one of which landed at #6 on Sportscenter’s Top Plays and can be watched over and over for your pleasure here: https://twitter.com/sportscenter/status/1342228362245378051?s=21
Past Winners
Week 1 Matt Pile, Omaha
Week 2 Stanley Umude, South Dakota
Week 3 Will Carius, Western Illinois
Junior: Kevin Obanor is our pick for junior of the week this week. Obanor continued his fantastic start to the season with a 21 point, 10 rebound game against Arkansas. Obanor added in a steal and a block. While all of those statistics are impressive they may not be the most impressive part of Obanor’s stat line. The most impressive part may have been his efficiency. Obanor did all of this on 7-12 shooting.
Past Winners
Week 1 Kevin Obanor, Oral Roberts
Week 2 Alex Arians, South Dakota State
Week 3 Wanyang Tut, Omaha
Sophomore of the week: North Dakota State sophomore Jarius Cook had a breakout game on Dec. 22 against TCU. Cook balled out for a career-high 22 points and six rebounds in 33 minutes. The Bison lost 89-82 but Cook’s 16 first-half points kept his squad in the ball game. The Brooklyn Park, Minn., native also made a career-high four 3-pointers on 4-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc.
Past Winners
Week 1 Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
Week 2 Baylor Scheierman, South Dakota State
Week 3 Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
Freshmen of the week: North Dakota State’s Grant Nelson got his first start of the season and took advantage. Nelson scored 14 points while grabbing 6 rebounds and handing out 2 assists. This may not be Nelson’s last time getting freshman of the week as his minutes and production both continue to grow game after game.
Past Winners
Week 1 Tyree Ihenacho, North Dakota
Week 2 Tyree Ihenacho, North Dakota
Week 3 Sam Hines, Denver
Bench player of the week: Not much went right for North Dakota in their loss to Drake. However, Sophomore Gertautas Urbonavicius had himself a fantastic game off the bench. Ubonavicius scored 16 points while chipping in 4 rebounds and handing out 2 assists. The Sophomore stepped outside his typical range going 1 for 1 from behind the arc and also went 9-10 from the free-throw line. North Dakota fans hope this is a sign of things to come this season.
Past Winners
Week 1 Marlon Ruffin, Omaha
Week 2 Sam Hines, Denver
Week 3 Gertautas Urbonavicius, North Dakota
Defense of the week: Making their first appearance as the defense of the week is Denver. It came in a game that unfortunately ended in a loss, but Coach Rodney Billips had to be pleased with his teams’ performance on the defensive end of the floor. The Pioneers held Northern Arizona to 68 points while forcing them to 40% shooting from the field and 20% from behind the arc. The Pioneers chipped in 7 blocks and 5 steals on the defensive end as well.
Past winners
Week 1 North Dakota State
Week 2 North Dakota
Week 3 Western Illinois