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DENVER - NM State senior guard Ian Baker has been named Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 5-11. This is his first WAC Player of the Week honor of the season and the second of his career.
The Washington, D.C., native willed the Aggies past instate rival New Mexico last Saturday, snapping a five-game losing skid as well as a nine-year drought against the Lobos in the Pan American Center. The 6-0 point guard finished with a career-high-tying 26 points, including four three-pointers, four steals, three rebounds and three assists in an 84-71 victory. He dropped 13 points in each half and hit 6-of-7 at the free throw line, including five in the second half. Baker helped NM State get out to an explosive start in the first half to head into the locker room with a 43-26 lead.
Other nominees included: Damiyne Durham of CSU Bakersfield averaged 18.0 points on 54.5 percent shooting, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists as the Roadrunners went 2-0 last week ... Chicago State's Trayvon Palmer posted a pair of double-doubles and averaged 18.5 points, 14.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in a pair of losses ... DeWayne Russell of Grand Canyon averaged 19.5 points, 7.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals as the Lopes went 2-0 on the week ... UMKC's LaVell Boyd averaged 19.0 points, 4.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds as the Roos went 1-1 on the week ... Antonio Green of UT Rio Grande Valley averaged 24.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists as the Vaqueros went 1-1 last week ... Utah Valley's Isaac Neilson averaged 22.0 points on 69.2 percent shooting, 14.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in a pair of losses last week.