AP men’s player of the week: Nebraska’s Brice Williams sparks 2 wins against ranked foes
The Associated Press national player of the week in men’s college basketball for Week 13 of the season:
Brice Williams, Nebraska
The 6-foot-7 senior guard came up big in a pair of wins against ranked Illinois and Oregon teams in the Big Ten.
He first had 27 points, a season high eight rebounds and four assists in an overtime win against then-No. 18 Illinois, a performance that included him scoring eight straight in the extra period. He followed that by going for 28 points, seven rebounds and a season-best six assists in a win at then-No. 16 Oregon.
Williams has reached double figures in 20 of his first 22 games, helping the Cornhuskers claim a fourth win against an AP Top 25 team this year to tie the program single-season record — the most recent time coming in 1998-99.
Runner-up
Madison Durr, Monmouth. The 6-5 junior started his week with 40 points on 10-for-11 shooting in a 104-97 double-overtime win against Drexel. That marked the Coastal Athletic Association’s first 40-point output in more than two years. His performance included him making all 19 of his free throws, setting a CAA record for the most makes without a miss while making him the 26th player in Division I history to reach at least 19 made free throws without a miss in a game.
The Citadel transfer followed that with 27 points in a win against Delaware, which included a 14-for-14 showing at the line.
Honorable mention
Johni Brome, Auburn; Cooper Flagg, Duke.
Keep an eye on
Caleb Love, Arizona. The fifth-year guard who started his career at North Carolina is still making big plays out west to help his team climb into a tie for the Big 12 lead. The highlight of his 22-point showing against then-No. 3 Iowa State was a beyond-halfcourt heave that forced overtime on the way to the victory. He followed that with 27 points in a win against instate rival Arizona State, the most for a Wildcat at Arizona State since 1997. Love closed the week averaging 16.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists this season.
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