In case there was any doubt about the talent that comes out of the New York-New Jersey-Philly area, this week’s Player of the Week results should put them to rest.
**Kentucky freshman Doron Lamb of Queens was named SEC Player of the Week after he scored 32 points in leading the Wildcats to a win over Winthrop. Lamb went 11 of 12 from the field, making 7 of 8 3-pointers to break Kentucky’s freshman record of 31 points set by another New York City native, Jamal Mashburn.
**USC junior guard Jio Fontan of Paterson, N.J., a former star at St. Anthony, was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week after averaging 17 points, 4 assists and 3.5 steals in wins over No. 19 Tennessee and Lehigh. Those were just the second and third games of the season for the Fordham transfer since he became eligible for the game at Kansas Dec. 18.
**Kansas junior forward Markieff Morris of Philly, who finished up at Apex Academy in Jersey, was named Big 12 Player of the Week after he scored a career-high 21 points in the Jayhawks’ only game of the week, a 78-63 victory at California. The junior forward connected on 8-of-14 (.571) shots from the field, including one 3-pointer.
**Texas freshman Tristan Thompson, who is Canadian but spent part of his high school tenure under Dan Hurley at St. Benedict’s, was named Big 12 Rookie of the Week after he recorded his third double-double of the year with 17 points and a career-high 15 rebounds as Texas beat Michigan State, 67-55, to end Sparty’s 52-game home winning streak.
**Rider junior guard Novar Gadson of Philly was named MAAC Player of the Week after he tied his career-high of 25 points in Rider’s 77-68 win at La Salle.
**That comes after Iona’s Mike Glover of The Bronx previously won the award three straight weeks.
**UConn star Kemba Walker of The Bronx leads NCAA Division 1 in scoring and went for 31 in Monday night’s 78-63 loss to Pitt on ESPN2. In that same game, Pitt’s Ashton Gibbs, who starred at Seton Hall Prep in New Jersey, led his team with 21 points.
**North Carolina sophomore guard Dexter Strickland, a Rahway, N.J. native who starred at St. Patrick, is coming off a career-high 19 points in a win over William & Mary and comes to MSG tonight to face Rutgers.
Read more about that game here.
Ummmmm / December 28, 2010
Markieff not Marcus was named Big XII player of the week. Marcus was ejected in the Cal game for throwing a bow to the neck of Jorge Gutierrez.
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RockChalkWoody / December 28, 2010
It was Harper Kamp that got the elbow, not Gutierrez (even though he deserved one).
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Ummmmm / December 28, 2010
Thats right…I couldnt remember if it was pony tail boy or the other ugly dude with the buck teeth.
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BostonCat / December 28, 2010
buckets!!!!
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