Big South Announces Men's Basketball Players of the Week - Dec. 13
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – UNC Asheville junior forward/center Drew Pember (Knoxville, Tenn.) has been named the Big South Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, while High Point redshirt-freshman forward Zack Austin (Winston-Salem, N.C.) is the Freshman of the Week for games played Dec. 6-12, it was announced today.
Pember averaged 19.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocked shots and was a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line in two games last week. Against SoCon favorite Chattanooga on Wednesday, he scored a career-high 19 points on 6-of-12 from the field with seven boards and two blocks. Pember then led the Bulldogs to a 73-72 win at Western Carolina with 19 points and career-high 13 rebounds, plus five blocks. He made two key free throws late in the contest to seal Asheville’s first win in Cullowhee since 2007.
Austin contributed 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in two games last week. He opened with a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double in a victory over Guilford last Tuesday, along with three blocks. Austin then tallied 20 points in addition to six boards and five blocks in a setback to South Carolina State on Friday. For the week, he was 12-of-24 from the floor ( =50.0 percent), made 5-of-13 three-point attempts ( =38.5), and totaled three assists and three steals.
Also nominated for Player of the Week: Austin McCullough (Campbell), Najee Garvin (Hampton), John-Michael Wright (High Point), Justin Hill (Longwood), Demetric Horton (North Carolina A&T), Winston Hill (Presbyterian), Jordan Gainey (USC Upstate) and D.J. Burns Jr. (Winthrop).
Also nominated for Freshman of the Week: Jordan Gainey (USC Upstate).