Another week down and yet another Busting Brackets Player of the Week to award. As we get closer to the Christmas break there appear to be some teams that we were all very high on that do not seem to be as good, have a key injury, or have some chemistry problems holding them back. This has been said multiple times and will be said again but there do not appear to be any great teams this year. Every single team has some flaws and once they are exposed it is hard for them to win.
The Player of the Week this week saw a ton of huge individual performances and most of the huge performances were on the first huge Saturday of the season. Most teams took a break all week because of final exams and a few teams did not play at all. Aside from the individual performances, you will see a lot of players who have been mentioned and nominated in previous articles. Even with all of the repeat nominees there still has yet to be a repeat winner in the Player of the Week rankings. That is not by design, it just has not happened yet.
There are 15 players nominated from the mid-major ranks and 10 players nominated from the power 5. Those are the nominated players for the week and then out of those nominated players I choose one player from the Mid Major ranks and one from the Power 5 ranks who had the best week. Those players are then the Busting Brackets Player of the Week. Last week’s winners were Clarence O. Daniels II from New Hampshire and Isaiah Wong from Miami. This week’s nominations are below.
Nominees for Mid-major Player of the week
Jordan Brown
The former five-star is well-traveled. He started his career at Nevada, then transferred to Arizona. He finally has become a star at his last stop, Louisiana. The Ragin Cajuns have one of the better mid-major programs in the country and they are the class of the Sun Belt. Brown is also one of the favorites for the player of the year in the Sun Belt.
Last week Brown had a week that earned him his first nomination for the Player of the Week. In a game to start the week against Louisiana Christian, the big man scored 37 points to go with 6 rebounds and 3 assists. In a game against McNeese, he scored 20 points to go along with 5 rebounds. Brown is a great player and should find himself on this list again.
James Bishop IV
George Washington only played one game last week but the Colonials’ star guard made the game count. Bishop has been one of the best scorers in the country early in the season. The guard has been a consistent scorer but has not had a huge game until this week. In a win over Coppin State, the guard had a fantastic game. He scored 30 points with 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Bishop is typically a volume shooter and gets most of the touches in the George Washington offense. He is good enough to score 30 multiple times and even if he doesnt find himself on this list again he will still likely average over 20 points per game on the season.
Ahsan Asadullah
The Lipscomb Bison big man is in his fifth year in the program and this year has not been like the other four. To be honest, Asadullah went from being one of the best big men in the Atlantic Sun to a solid player who averages close to double figures. The big man is still capable of some very big games even if he is having a down year. To start the week off is a win of Tennessee Tech the Lipscomb star scored 21 points to go along with 15 rebounds. He did not end the week on a high note at all as he didn’t score a point in a loss to Michigan. In that game he did record 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
Jake Stephens
The third week in a row for the star from Chattanooga. Stephens has yet to win the award but that feels like it is going to change quickly. Stephens is one of the most dangerous players in the game. He is almost guaranteed 20 points and 10 rebounds every single night and he has shown when he does that the Mocs are going to win most of the games they play. In a win over Middle Tennessee, the big man scored 24 points to go along with 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. That is a heck of a performance but in true Stephens fashion he followed it up with a 30-point game.
In a loss to Belmont, the big man scored 32 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 blocks. That is an even better performance. 30 points and 20 rebound games are rare and those usually win a lot of National Player of the Week awards.
Carlos Stewart
Santa Clara being a good team provides a ton of depth to the West Coast Conference this season and a league that is likely going to get three bids, but the Broncos may make it a fourth. Stewart is not the go-to option for the Broncos, but he is a great second option and is capable of some very big games. He started off the week with a huge game in a win over California Irvine. The guard scored 29 points with 1 rebound and 4 assists. Stewart, like so many other players, took a step back after his huge game. In a win against California, the guard only scored 4 points with 2 rebounds and 2 assists.
Justin Johnson
UT Rio Grande Valley has started off the year very well. They also have two players who are great scorers and none better than Johnson. The guard is making his second appearance on the list and has already had two thirty-point games this year. Johnson started off the week with a bang against Southwest Christian. A non-division 1 opponent and the Vaqueros star guard scored 31 points with 11 rebounds. The guard followed that up in a win over Houston Christian with 29 points and 8 rebounds. In the game against Houston Christian, the guard got to the line 19 times in the same game. Unfortunately for Johnson he only shoots 62% from the line this season.
Quincy Olivari
Offense is never going to be in short order at Rice while head coach Scott Pera is at the helm. Olivari is back to leading the team and back to be a premier scorer in the Conference USA. The Owls are a great shooting team, and their guard is one of the best in the country. In the first game of the week, a win over a nondivision 1 school Olivari scored 22 points with 3 rebounds and 4 assists. The game that earned him a spot on the nomination list was the 30-point game he had in a win over Northwestern State. In that game, the guard finished with 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. Olivari needs to score at a high level for Rice to continue its hot start to the season.
Tevian Jones
The Southern Utah Thunderbirds only played one game last week and their star guard Jones made it count. Southern Utah has been a team who has been on the cusp of breaking through and making a trip to the NCAA tournament over the last few seasons but has never been able to get over the hump in the conference tournament. Jones started his career at Illinois and has been at Southern Utah for the last three seasons. The Thunderbird guard has started every single game since he has been on campus and his presence in the lineup has coincided with one of the best three-year runs in Southern Utah history. In a win over Northern Arizona, the guard scored 31 points to go with 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
Jalen Cone
Northern Arizona is not a great basketball team, they likely are going to finish near the bottom of the Big Sky, but they would be a lot worse if they did not have Cone on their team. It is not every day that a good Power five player transfers down. That is what happened with the guard as he had carved out a role as a shooter for Virginia Tech but wanted to get more playing time so transferred to Northern Arizona. The Lumberjacks are very happy that the guard decided to transfer and even though they are still losing games, the guard is keeping them in most every game. In an overtime loss to Southern Utah, the guard went crazy. He scored 45 points to go with 5 rebounds and 1 assist. That is the current high-scoring game of the year topping the 42 points put up earlier this year by Dwayne Cohill.
Taevion Kinsey
There are certain players who have a knack for scoring. It comes naturally to these players. Kinsey is one of those players. He has been one of the premier offensive players in Conference USA over the last two seasons. Now he is looking to be one of the best scorers in the Sun Belt. Kinsey is different from so many other guards because he does all of his scoring inside the three-point line. He doesn’t shoot threes very much and he doesn’t get fouled a ton.
In the two games last week one a loss against UNC Greensboro he scored 24 points with 4 rebounds and 6 assists. He was 1 out of 2 from deep. In a win over Toledo, the guard scored 30 points with 7 rebounds and 7 assists. He didn’t make a three in that game and only made 6 free throws. He ended up 12-19 from the floor with 17 of those shots coming from inside the arc. It was an impressive performance all around.
Mekhi Lairy
Miami Ohio should be a middle-of-the-pack team in the MAC and a lot of that optimism does stem from their star guard. The Redhawks have multiple guys on the offensive end who can score no one really needs to take a ton of volume including Lairy. He does most of his scoring with a little over 10 shots per game. The guard is a good shooter from deep and gets fouled a lot. In a loss to Cincinnati, Lairy was the only bright spot for the Redhawks as he scored 20 points with 2 rebounds and 2 assists. In the final game of the week a win over Bellarmine, the guard scored 30 points with 5 assists. It was the second time that Lairy has scored 30 points this year.
Mike Bothwell
I am surprised it took this long for Bothwell to appear on this list. He much like Kinsey is one of the premier scorers in the game but he does it a little differently. Bothwell, like every other player who plays for Furman, can shoot from the outside. Bothwell also doesn’t need a large volume of shots to score. He gets fouled a lot and he shoots well from the outside. He almost made the cut last week but just missed it. This week he was guaranteed a spot on the nominations when he had a 36-point, 3 rebounds, and 3-assist game in a win over Stephen F. Austin. In the final game of the week, a win over a non-division 1 opponent Bothwell only scored 9 points and only took 2 shots. It was the 36-point game that found him a place on this list.
Marko Maletic
Long Island is a bad team as they currently sit at just one win. Maletic is developing a reputation as one of the country’s best three-point shooters and with that is the best player for a struggling Sharks team. Maletic is in his first year of basketball in the NEC and it has been a successful one, at least from an individual standpoint. Unfortunately, Long Island lost both games they played last week but the guard had a huge week. In a loss against Albany, the guard scored 22 points, with 4 rebounds and 2 assists. In the final game of the week, a loss to James Madison, Maletic scored 32 points with 3 rebounds and 1 assist. It was a great week for a virtually unknown player.
Antoine Davis
Davis is in a class all by himself when it comes to scoring. If you ask me he is the best scorer in the college game today. He is a threat to go for 30 every single night. He has done it two games in a row and likely is going to have a lot more. Davis currently leads all of the NCAA in scoring at 25 points per game. It would make sense that he would have a lot of great weeks leading up to those numbers. This is the second consecutive week that Davis has been nominated for the award. Detroit Mercy only played one game this week. It was a loss for the Titans but Davis showed why he is such a dangerous offensive player. In a loss to Eastern Michigan, the guard scored 30 points and didn’t provide else in the counting stats but a 30-point game should still be recognized.
Trey Townsend
Two weeks in a row for the Oakland wing. The Golden Grizzlies have had a lot of elite scorers come through their ranks and Townsend is quickly developing into the next great one for Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies are struggling this year as they do not have much after Townsend but the wing is turning into a star for Coach Kampe. He is another player who can score from everywhere on the floor and he has gotten a bigger share of the touches in the offense over the last two games. Those were the games that saw him score in high numbers as well. In the only game for Oakland this week, a loss to Boise State, the wing scored 30 points to go with 8 rebounds.
That concludes the nominations for this week. There were some big games this week with some huge individual performances. Who was the best this week?
Mid-major Player of the Week – Jake Stephens
The third time is a charm for the Chattanooga Mocs big man. Stephens has seen his name appear on this list three separate weeks and he finally won the award. I will admit it is hard to ignore the 45 points that Jalen Cone of Northern Arizona scored. It was also tough to not give the award to UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros star Justin Johnson after a 60-point week. I kept going back to the week that Stephens had and especially when it comes to his performance in the game against Belmont.
Think back to the offseason and remember that Stephens was being recruited by everyone but ultimately decided to follow his coach Dan Earl to Chattanooga. There are not many guys who are 7’0” and can bring the ball up the floor, shoot 50% from deep, and 60% overall from the floor. Those guys are almost never guys who are going to rebound and block as well. Most big men these days are going to provide offense and a little bit of defense, or they are going to trade that offense for a lot of defense. There is a rare breed like Stephens who can do everything.
I mentioned earlier how there has yet to be a repeat winner in the mid-major or the power five players, but Stephens is a guy who has a chance to win this award multiple times. He stuffs the stat sheet with all the counting stats. He is currently top 10 in scoring and top 20 in rebounds. He is averaging 20 blocks per game and about 3 assists per game. Those numbers coming from 7 footers are ridiculous. Some have said Stephens plays like your “create a player” in the latest NBA game for Xbox. He does put up video game-like numbers. Congratulations to Jake for winning the Busting Brackets player of the week.
Nominees for Power Conference Players of the Week
Kendric Davis
The Memphis Tigers got a superstar when they were able to secure the commitment of Davis in the transfer portal. I do consider the American a power conference and not everyone does, but the league does play like a power conference in basketball. Davis was an elite scorer at SMU, and he has taken his scoring ability with him to Memphis and coach Penny Hardaway. He has instantly become the go-to scorer for the Tigers and he had a huge week against two huge opponents.
In the first game, a loss against Alabama, Davis had 30 points, 2 rebounds, and 5 assists. He put on a show. In a win over Texas A&M, the guard had 23 points, 2 rebounds, and 9 assists. Those numbers are going to be tough to beat but there were some great performances this week.
Keion Brooks
Washington has been a pleasant surprise this year and they do not look like a pushover in the Pac-12. Brooks has had his part in that, and the forward has been one of the most consistent players for the Huskies. Brooks started his career at Kentucky, and it didn’t work out with coach Calipari so the former five-star decided to move west to Washington. The Huskies big man had a career-high 30 points in a win over Cal Poly.
It was the game when he was finally able to live up to his lofty billing out of high school. In the second game of the week, a win over Idaho State, Brooks scored 8 points with 10 rebounds and 6 assists. The competition was not great, but Brooks did play well and was good enough to get recognized as a potential player of the week.
El Ellis
Coming into the week Louisville was 0-10, and they ended up at 2-10 ending the week. Ellis was a huge part of that as he was able to play well enough to will his team to a win. Ellis is now in his second year with the Cardinals after leading the country in scoring as a JUCO in his first two years in college. Ellis also is not on this list this week just because Louisville finally won their first two games.
In the game against Western Kentucky, which was a win, Ellis scored 30 points with 10 assists and 4 rebounds. That was a game that would have gotten him on the list even in a loss. The point guard followed that up in a win over Florida A&M with 13 points and 7 assists. Louisville winning two games last week is news and Ellis should be recognized for scoring 30 points and helping his team win their first games of the year.
Souley Boum
It would be hard to try and find a player who has been playing better basketball this year than Boum. He is finally trying his hand at the Power five level and has been arguably the best player on the floor for Xavier. The Musketeers are currently playing like one of the top teams in the Big East and should be there all year. They are scrappy and have weapons all over the place. Boum is a player who has gotten better every year he has been in college and the graduate transfer is finally looking to get his team to the tournament. Xavier only played one game last week, but Boum made the most of it. In a win over Georgetown, the point guard scored 28 points with 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Boum is likely going to find himself on this list again.
Drew Timme
Two weeks in a row for the Gonzaga Bulldogs star and potential player of the year. Timme has been one of the best players in the sport for a long time now and he is one of the best all-time college players. The big man has already had an illustrious career, but he is currently on pace for his most minutes, points, rebounds, blocks etc. He is trying to go out with a bang this year. The Bulldogs played two games last week and won them both.
Timme shined the brightest in each game. In a win over Northern Illinois, the big man had 26 points, with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. That is already a great game, but Gonzaga also played in one of the best games I have ever watched. In a win over Alabama Timme had 29 points and 10 rebounds. It was another great week for one of the games best players.
Brandon Miller
The Gonzaga vs Alabama game was one of the best games I have ever watched and believe it or not Timme did not have the best performance in that game. The best performance and one of the best performances of the year belonged to Miller. Miller was one the highest-ranked recruits in the country coming out of high school this year and against Gonzaga, the freshman put on a show. He scored 36 points, with 6 rebounds and 1 assist. Miller is only going to be in college for one season so if you have not watched him play yet do yourself a favor and do it. You will not be disappointed. In his other action last week, a win over Memphis Miller scored 24 points with 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
Darin Green Jr.
Florida State may be terrible this year but they have had some bright spots this season. Green Jr. has been one of the few bright spots for the Seminoles. The guard is a transfer from UCF where he gained a reputation as one of the best shooters in the country. He is proving that at Florida State where he is on pace for his best season shooting and scoring. In two games this week. One was a win over South Carolina Upstate, Green Jr. scored 15 points with 2 rebounds. Those are pretty pedestrian numbers, but it was his performance in a loss to Saint John’s that found him on this list. He scored 30 points with 4 rebounds and 2 assists. It will be hard to win the award this week, but Green Jr. earned the nomination.
Zach Edey
Rinse and repeat for the 7’4″ skilled big man. Edey is a rebounding machine and gets easy baskets. He is almost impossible to guard one-on-one and he is going to feast on almost everyone in the Big Ten. Edey is currently the front-runner for the National Player of the Year and is the best player on the best team in the country. In the one game Purdue played this week, a win over Davidson, Edey once again showed why he was the best player for Purdue. The center had 29 points and 16 rebounds and dominated yet another opponent. Get used to seeing Edey on this list.
Adama Sanogo
This is the first time that Sanogo has been on the list and that is surprising given his ability to dominate a game inside. There were a lot of players responsible for bringing the UConn program back to prominence but in my opinion, none are more important to that success than Sanogo. The big man is a force in the paint and has not turned into a competent three-point shooter. That new aspect of his game makes him one of the most dangerous players in the country. In their one game this week, a win over Butler, the big man scored 27 points with 14 rebounds and 3 assists. He was great and will continue to be great.
Filip Rebraca
The Iowa big man currently is putting up numbers that are unsustainable. He won’t shoot 67% from deep all season but he will be a nice role player and second option for Iowa. Rebraca has had to step up while Iowa star Kris Murray is out with a hurt foot. Hawkeye fans will tell you that the big man has filled in nicely, especially last week. In a win over SEMO the big man scored 30 points, to go with 9 rebounds and 6 assists. It is reasonable to think that when Murray comes back the big man will regress to the mean but if he continues to play like this it would be huge for Iowa.
That concludes the nominations for the power five players. Who is this week’s Busting Brackets Player of the Week?
Power Conference Player of the Week – Brandon Miller
Much like the Mid Major award this week there were a lot of great individual performances but the 36 points by the Alabama freshman Brandon Miller was too hard to ignore. Filip Rebraca had a great week with his 30-point and 9-rebound performance. El Ellis from Louisville was a very close second. He had a great week with a 30-point double-double but he also led the Louisville Cardinals to their first two wins of the season. It appears that for Louisville to be good Ellis is going to have to play exactly as he did last week.
Miller was one of the highest-ranked players to ever commit to Alabama from the second he stepped on the floor in Tuscaloosa he has made an impact. He is going to continue to make an impact for the Crimson Tide all season long and Alabama is likely going to continue to play through him. As mentioned, the 36 points are very hard to overlook, especially when he scored those against one of the best teams in the country. The Crimson Tide may have lost that game but Miller kept them in it and it was a joy to watch that basketball game as Miller was hitting shots from all over the floor. In the first game of the week against Memphis, the forward did the same thing.
Every time Memphis would inch closer in that game the star freshman would make a huge play, come up with a huge rebound or kick out to an open shooter. The forward is going to be a lottery pick and will only be in college for one season but if last week is any foreshadowing of the future then Miller is going to find his way on this list many times throughout the rest of the season and he is going to win Alabama a lot of games with his play.
That will do it for the Busting Brackets Players of the Week. Congratulations to Jake Stephens and the Chattanooga Mocs. Another Congratulations to Brandon Miller and the Alabama Crimson Tide. There has still yet to be a repeat winner, and it is not by design as I am sure there will be a repeat winner multiple times as the year goes on. Enjoy the games leading up to Christmas. Enjoy the times with your family. Have a happy and healthy Holiday Season.