| ARKANSAS STATE’S TODD HEADLINES USBWA MEN’S NATIONAL WEEKLY HONORS
INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has named five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Sunday, Dec. 15.
For the 2024-25 season, the USBWA continues its national player of the week program that has been affiliated with the Oscar Robertson Trophy since the 2009-10 season. Prior to last season, the USBWA had recognized just one player each week.
Each Tuesday during the regular season, designated USBWA board members will select five standouts from the 31 Division I conference players of the week to be recognized. This week’s selections were chosen from a list of the conferences that named a player of the week on Monday.
Following are the five players selected for performances this past week:
Lamont Butler, Kentucky (Southeastern Conference)
The 6-2 graduate student from Moreno Valley, Calif., led the Wildcats with 33 points and six assists in a win over rival Louisville. Butler made all 10 field goal attempts, including 6-of-6 on 3-pointers. Since 1996-97, he’s the only Division I player to make all of his shots, score at least 33 points and get at least six assists.
Tarence Guinyard, UT Martin (Ohio Valley Conference)
The transfer from Florida State College at Jacksonville averaged 31.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists/game while hitting 65.6 percent (21-of-32) from the field, 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from 3-point range and 78.9 percent (15-of-19) at the free throw line in a pair of games. On Wednesday at Alabama State, he helped UT Martin overcome a 23-point deficit with 6:59 to go in regulation to force overtime, scoring 29 of the Skyhawks’ final 52 points over a stretch of 17:57. In that game the junior from Tampa also had seven rebounds, three assists and two steals off the bench. Four days later against Champion Christian, he delivered career-highs in points (31), rebounds (8) and assists (5) in just 22 minutes of playing time. Guinyard is the only OVC player this season with multiple 30-point scoring performances.
Jamichael Stillwell, Milwaukee (Horizon League)
The junior from Atlanta averaged 20.5 points and 18.5 rebounds per game in wins at Green Bay and vs. Akron at the MKE Tip Off at Fiserv Forum. Stillwell posted back-to-back double-doubles, shooting 58.3 percent from the floor and 71.4 percent from three-point range and had a season-high 24 points and 19 rebounds against the Green Bay, which boke the single-game school record of 18 rebounds in a game that had stood since 1995.
Taryn Todd, Arkansas State (Sun Belt Conference)
Todd had a career-best week for Arkansas State, eclipsing the 20-point mark in the Red Wolves’ two wins. The guard averaged a league-best 27 points and 7 rebounds per game while shooting 47.6 percent on a conference-most 20 field goals made, including a 42.9 percent clip from 3-point range, and boasting an assist/turnover ratio of 4.5 to lead the league. His 54 points scored were fifth most nationally on the week while his scoring average was good for top 20. His 20 field goals made ranked third nationally on the week. Todd opened with 23 points and a career-high eight rebounds against UT Arlington, Todd was then instrumental in the Red Wolves’ comeback victory at AAC preseason favorite UAB on Sunday, scoring a career-tying 31 points (22 after halftime) on 12 made field goals, including four 3-pointers to match his career high.
Brice Williams, Nebraska (Big Ten Conference)
The 6-7 senior guard from Huntersville, N.C., set season highs in points (30), field goals (10) and rebounds (six) along with a team-high five assists in Nebraska’s 85-68 win over Indiana, becoming the only the second Husker in the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present) to have a game with at least 30 points and five assists. Williams scored nine of his 30 points in the final 6:30 after Indiana closed to within 68-67. The 30 points were a Nebraska career high.
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. The winner of the award will be announced at the 2025 Men’s Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, with the formal presentation to follow at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 800 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 Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.
2024-25 USBWA Men’s Weekly Honors
• Week ending Nov. 10: JaKobe Coles, Grand Canyon; Tyson Dunn, Buffalo; TY Johnson, UC Davis; Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton; Justice Shoats, Siena.
• Week ending Nov. 17: Abdi Bashir, Monmouth; Jaron Pierre, Jax State; Maxine Raynaud, Stanford; John Tonje, Wisconsin; Sonny Wilson, Toledo.
• Week ending Nov. 24: Mason Falslev, Utah State; Cooper Flagg, Duke; Chaz Lanier, Tennessee; Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, Columbia; John Tonje, Wisconsin.
• Week ending Dec. 1: Johni Broome, Auburn; Chucky Hepburn, Louisville; Tyrese Hunter, Memphis; Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue; Javon Small, West Virginia.
• Week ending Dec. 8: Devin Haid, Central Connecticut; Tyler “Chip” Johnson, Mercer; Ian Schieffelin, Clemson; Sean Smith, Western Illinois; Sebastian Thomas, Rhode Island.
• Week ending Dec. 15: Lamont Butler, Kentucky; Tarence Guinyard, UT Martin; Jamichael Stillwell, Milwaukee; Taryn Todd, Arkansas State; Brice Williams, Nebraska. |
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