Weekly Awards
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Michael Washington, Arkansas
The 6-9 junior had a pair of stellar performances in wins. The Razorbacks stunned Oklahoma as Washington scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. He had 34 points and 11 more boards in a win over North Texas. In those two contests, he totaled an amazing 22-of-27 from the field.
COACH OF THE WEEK: Al Skinner, Boston College
The Eagles went into Chapel Hill and came out with the biggest win of the season, 85-78. Tyrese Rice, Rakim Sanders and Reggie Jackson came through big-time, and when it was all said and done, Skinner had arguably the biggest W in his coaching career.
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Illinois State
The Redbirds are still unbeaten and they opened a lot of eyes in the Missouri Valley Conference with a pair of Ws. First came a 30-point win over an Evansville team that entered with a 9-2 record. Illinois State followed up with a 22-point blowout over a Creighton team that was 12-2 prior to the loss.
SHOCK OF THE WEEK: Boston College over North Carolina
If the Eagles didn't stun the Tar Heels, it would have probably been Notre Dame losing to St. John's. The Red Storm entered Saturday's game at Madison Square Garden with a three-game losing streak. Boston College was 12-2 going into the Dean Dome, and there were many who felt this would be another easy win for the Tar Heels. Nobody had come closer than 15 points of Roy Williams' club before Sunday night.
DIAPER DANDY OF THE WEEK: Keith Gabriel, VMI
He came through with a career-high 34 points in a hard-fought win over Gardner-Webb. Gabriel came off the bench to score his 34 points in just 23 minutes, hitting seven-of-12 trifectas as the Keydets won their seventh straight game. VMI (11-2 overall, 3-0 in the Big South) continues both its best overall and conference starts since 1976-77.
