For the second time in the last three weeks, Northern Kentucky men’s basketball player Drew McDonald was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Week.
Senior Tyler White also picked up a weekly accolade with College Sports Madness tabbing him the Horizon League Player of the Week, while the league office also gave White recognition on its weekly top performers list.
Drew McDonald earned the honor after averaging 11.0 points and 4.0 rebounds, which included a 16-point showing on 8-of-13 shooting in NKU’s win over Youngstown State. The victory was the first-ever Horizon League win for the Norse (NKU Athletics Photo),/small>
McDonald earned the honor after averaging 11.0 points and 4.0 rebounds, which included a 16-point showing on 8-of-13 shooting in NKU’s win over Youngstown State. The victory was the first-ever Horizon League win for the Norse.
The Cold Spring, Kentucky, native was the first men’s basketball player to earn a weekly accolade from the league office just two weeks ago following a 12-point, 13-rebound effort at Green Bay and career-high 18-point showing against Toledo.
White’s efforts against Youngstown State and Cleveland State led to his two acknowledgements. He averaged 18.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists against the two Horizon League foes. He led NKU with 20 points, nine rebounds (career-high) and six assists against YSU, before following with 17 points, six rebounds, eight assists (career-high) and four steals (career-high tying) versus Cleveland State.
Northern Kentucky next heads to Detroit for a Tuesday-evening showdown with Oakland.
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (5-11 Overall, 1-4 Horizon League)
Oakland University Golden Grizzlies (11-7 Overall, 3-2 Horizon League)
Tuesday, Jan. 19 – 7 p.m. (ET)
Athletics Center O’rena (4,000) in Rochester, Mich.
TV: ESPN3
Radio: ESPN1530 (1530 AM) with Andrew Kappes (Play-by-Play) and Steve Moeller (Analysis)
Fast Break Points
• NKU plays Oakland in its next game. NKU took the last meeting, which provided the Norse the 1997 NCAA DII regional title.
• NKU lost its last outing, 70-65, to Cleveland State.
• NKU earned its first #HLMBB win with an 84-64 decision over Youngstown State on Thursday.
• Four Norse are averaging 10 or more points per game this season, led by F Jalen Billups at 13.0.
• With a two-hand jam in the first half against Wright State, Billups became the 24th Norse to score 1,000 career points.
• Billups led the nation w/ 69.6% shooting last year, and is among the nation’s leaders at 64.4% (85-132) this year.
• Billups ranks among NKU’s all-time leaders in FG % (2nd, .636), blocks (5th, 119) & blocks per game (11th, 1.1).
• Billups is averaging an impressive 1.58 points per field-goal attempt this season.
• Billups and G Tyler White are climbing NKU’s all-time scoring list. Billups ranks 24th w/ 1,027 points & White is No. 30 (939).
• White has 164-career threes, ranking 9th all-time at Northern Kentucky.
• In the last two games, White has averaged 18.5 points, 7.5 boards and 7.0 assists.
• G Lavone Holland II is third on the team in scoring at 11.4 points, leads the squad in rebounds (5.7) and is second in assists (4.1).
• G Cole Murray has had the hot hand from long range, shooting 42.9% (36-of-84) from behind the arc this year.
• Murray is averaging a career-high 10.0 points per game.
• F Drew McDonald was named #HLMBB Freshman of the Week for the second time in the last three weeks after averaging 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds.
• In Horizon League action, McDonald is averaging 10.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
• In the last eight games, McDonald has posted 11.3 points on 52.2 percent shooting (35-of-67) and 6.6 rebounds per game.
From NKU Athletics
