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ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association
has selected Missouri State forward Kyle Weems as its
Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending
the week of Sunday, Jan. 1. The USBWA's weekly honor is presented
by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and will be handed
out each Tuesday through Feb. 21 this season.
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| Weems |
As the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, Weems was
nominated for the weekly award, which was chosen by a representative
of the USBWA board of directors from a list of Division I conference
players of the week.
Weems, a 6-6 senior from Topeka, Kan., helped the Bears open
conference play 2-0 with a career-high 31-point output in Wednesday's
win at No. 19 Creighton and 22 points in Saturday's home win over
Drake. He was 21-for-34 (.618) from the field in the two games,
including 5-of-6 (.833) from three-point range. He also led the
team in rebounding in both games, averaging 8.0 caroms per game.
Weems was 11-for-22 from the field against Creighton with seven
rebounds and knocked down all six free throws he attempted in the
final 42 seconds to help the Bears secure their first-ever road
win against a ranked opponent. He followed that with a 10-for-12
shooting effort against Drake with nine rebounds.
This is the third season that the USBWA has selected a national
player of the week. The weekly Oscar Robertson National Player of
the Week will be considered for the Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list, which
will be released at mid-season.
Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player
of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University
of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year
Oscar Robertson. It is the nation's oldest award and the only one
named after a former player.
 At
the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists
for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership of the
USBWA. The winner of the 2012 Oscar Robertson Trophy will be announced
and presented by its namesake, Oscar Robertson, at the USBWA's annual
awards breakfast on Fri., March 30 in New Orleans, site of the 2012
NCAA Men's Final Four.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in
1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers.
With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential
organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America
team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA
and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, contact executive director Joe Mitch
at 314-444-4300.
Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, the most comprehensive
college basketball publication in the world, returns for its 31st
season, bigger and better in 2010-11. Blue Ribbon – long-known as
"The Bible of College Basketball" – gives its readers the most thorough,
up-to-date and timely evaluations of every Division I team in the
country. For more information about Blue Ribbon Yearbooks, visit
blueribbonyearbookonline.com.
2011-12 Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week
• Week of Dec. 11: Thomas Robinson, Kansas (Big 12
Conference)
• Week of Dec. 18: Mike Glover, Iona (Metro Atlantic
Athletic Conference)
• Week of Dec. 25: Doug McDermott, Creighton (Missouri
Valley Conference)
• Week of Jan. 1: Kyle Weems, Missouri State (Missouri
Valley Conference)
• Week of Jan. 8: Damian Lillard, Weber State (Big
Sky Conference)
• Week of Jan. 15: Brandon Paul, Illinois (Big Ten
Conference)
• Week of Jan. 22: Faisal Aden, Washington State (Pac-12
Conference)
• Week of Jan. 29: Mason Plumlee, Duke (Atlantic Coast
Conference)
• Week of Feb. 5: Tray Woodall, Pittsburgh (Big East
Conference)
• Week of Feb. 12: Jeff Withey, Kansas (Big 12 Conference)
• Week of Feb. 19: Draymond Green, Michigan State
(Big Ten Conference)
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