TicketSmarter WAC Men’s Basketball Players of the Week Announced
DENVER – Utah Valley's Fardaws Aimaq has been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week and California Baptist's Taran Armstrong was named TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Freshman of the Week for November 15-21.
Aimaq, a redshirt sophomore center from Vancouver, B.C., Canada, opened the week with a career-high 34 points, adding 14 rebounds, in an 86-74 overtime win at Pepperdine. He then added 25 points to go with 16 rebounds in an 84-78 overtime win at Long Beach State. On the week, he averaged 29.5 points per game and 15.0 rebounds per game, adding three blocks, two steals and a pair of assists.
Armstrong, a freshman guard from Burnie, Tasmania, Australia, repeats as Freshman of the Week after averaging 16.7 points per game with eight rebounds per game and 9.7 assists per game in three home wins. In the week's opener, the Australian put up 15 points to go with eight rebounds and 12 assists in a 77-64 win over Jackson State. He followed the up two days later with a 16-point effort in a 67-66 win over San José State, adding 12 assists and 10 rebounds for the Lancers' first triple-double in program history. His final performance of the week netted him 19 points with six rebounds and five assists in a 74-70 win over Northern Colorado.
Other nominees included: Abilene Christian's Mahki Morris scored 20 points and added nine rebounds in a win at UTA on Tuesday … California Baptist's Reed Nottage helped the Lancers to three wins, averaging 18.0 ppg on .526 shooting … Dixie State's Cameron Gooden was named to the CSUN Empire Classic All-Tournament team after averaging 19.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in losses to Texas State and host CSUN … Grand Canyon's Holland Woods III matched his career-high with five three-pointers and finished with 25 points in a 91-64 win over Prairie View … Lamar's Davion Buster led the Cardinals in scoring in all three games, averaging 11.3 ppg losses to Georgia Tech, Stetson and Southern Mississippi … NM State's Teddy Allen posted double-digit points in all three games to average 15.7 ppg and 5.0 rpg as the Aggies took third at the Myrtle Beach Invitational with wins over Davidson and Indiana State … Seattle U's Cameron Tyson put up a game-high 26 points, including six three-pointers, as the Redhawks earned a 93-80 win over visiting Morgan State … Stephen F. Austin's David Kachelries scored 19 points to help the 'Jacks earn an 87-74 win over Middle Tennessee to kick off the Cancun Challenge … Tarleton's Montre' Gipson averaged 13.5 ppg as the Texans split a pair of games at Wichita State and at home against Paul Quinn … UT Rio Grande Valley's Justin Johnson posted his first career double-double with a career-high 35 points and 10 rebounds in an 89-87 loss to Northern Arizona
Other freshman nominees included: Grand Canyon's Jalen Blackmon knocked down three three-pointers as the Lopes earned a 91-64 win over Prairie View … Lamar's Brock McClure totaled 21 points on the week to go with 13 rebounds as the Cardinals dropped matchups with Georgia Tech, Stetson and Southern Mississippi … Seattle U's Kobe Williamson scored 14 points in just 15 minutes played as the Redhawks picked up a 93-80 win over visiting Morgan State … UT Rio Grande Valley's Donte Houston Jr. averaged 5.0 points per game in the first two starts of his collegiate career as the Vaqueros earned a win over Paul Quinn before falling to Northern Arizona.