Murray State University Athletics
Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics
Morant Honored With Three Weekly Awards
2/18/2019 6:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Murray State's Ja Morant gathered in three awards Monday for his outstanding play in Racer road wins at Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky when he was named Co-Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball Player of the Week and the weekly recipient of the National Player of the Week Awards from The Naismith Award and the Lute Olson Award.
The sophomore from Dalzell, S.C. shared the OVC award with Austin Peay's Terry Taylor after a vote by the league's sports information directors.
Morant averaged 28.5 points, 10.5 assists, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks/game while hitting 46.3 percent (19-of-41) from the field and 84.2 percent (16-of-19) from the free throw line. During the week he set the OVC single-season assists record (256) and scored his 1,000th career point.
The sophomore began the week with 32 points, seven assists, six rebounds in a win over rival Austin Peay. In a 32-point win at Eastern Kentucky, Morant had 14 assists to go along with 25 points, seven rebounds.
Morant, who leads all Division I players with 10.2 assists/game, now has seven games of 13 or more assists this season (that has only happened 12 total times in MSU history). Morant now has 16 double-doubles this season, tops in the OVC and seventh nationally. He also has 12 games with at least 20 points and 10 assists this year; no other Division I player has more than three such games in 2018-19.
This marks the seventh time this season Morant has been named OVC Player of the Week. He's tied with Popeye Jones (1988-92) and Jeff Martin (1986-89) each at seven. Isaiah Canaan (2009-13) and Marcus Brown (1992-96) set the bar for the Racers with 10 career honors each.
By CollegeInsider.com, the Lute Olson Award is presented annually to the nation's top Division I player in College Basketball. Morant has already been added to its watch list. Coach Lute Olson won 780 games in 34 seasons, 24 of which were spent at the University of Arizona. During that stretch he led the Wildcats to 11 Pac-10 Conference titles, 23 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, four Final Four appearances and a National Championship in 1997.
By the Atlanta Tipoff Club, the Naismith Award is named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, the creator of the game of basketball in the late 1980's. Morant has also been added to its watch list.
Both the Olson and Naismith awards will be revealed in April at the site of the men's division I national championship in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The Racers are at home this week for games at the CFSB Center against UT Martin and Southeast Missouri State.
2018-19 OVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 12 Nick Mayo, Eastern Kentucky
Nov. 19 Terry Taylor, Austin Peay
Nov. 26 Ja Morant, Murray State
Dec. 3 Ja Morant, Murray State
Dec. 10 Nick Mayo, Eastern Kentucky
Dec. 17 Terry Taylor, APSU & Kevin McClain, Belmont
Dec. 26 Ja Morant, Murray State
Dec. 31 Mack Smith, Eastern Illinois
Jan. 7 Ja Morant, Murray State
Jan. 14 Ja Morant, Murray State
Jan. 21 Ja Morant, Murray State
Jan. 28 Kevin McClain, Belmont
Feb. 4 Terry Taylor, Austin Peay & Drew Windler, Belmont
Feb. 11 Dylan Windler, Belmont
Feb. 18 Ja Morant, Murray State & Terry Taylor, Austin Peay
The sophomore from Dalzell, S.C. shared the OVC award with Austin Peay's Terry Taylor after a vote by the league's sports information directors.
Morant averaged 28.5 points, 10.5 assists, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks/game while hitting 46.3 percent (19-of-41) from the field and 84.2 percent (16-of-19) from the free throw line. During the week he set the OVC single-season assists record (256) and scored his 1,000th career point.
The sophomore began the week with 32 points, seven assists, six rebounds in a win over rival Austin Peay. In a 32-point win at Eastern Kentucky, Morant had 14 assists to go along with 25 points, seven rebounds.
Morant, who leads all Division I players with 10.2 assists/game, now has seven games of 13 or more assists this season (that has only happened 12 total times in MSU history). Morant now has 16 double-doubles this season, tops in the OVC and seventh nationally. He also has 12 games with at least 20 points and 10 assists this year; no other Division I player has more than three such games in 2018-19.
This marks the seventh time this season Morant has been named OVC Player of the Week. He's tied with Popeye Jones (1988-92) and Jeff Martin (1986-89) each at seven. Isaiah Canaan (2009-13) and Marcus Brown (1992-96) set the bar for the Racers with 10 career honors each.
By CollegeInsider.com, the Lute Olson Award is presented annually to the nation's top Division I player in College Basketball. Morant has already been added to its watch list. Coach Lute Olson won 780 games in 34 seasons, 24 of which were spent at the University of Arizona. During that stretch he led the Wildcats to 11 Pac-10 Conference titles, 23 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, four Final Four appearances and a National Championship in 1997.
By the Atlanta Tipoff Club, the Naismith Award is named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, the creator of the game of basketball in the late 1980's. Morant has also been added to its watch list.
Both the Olson and Naismith awards will be revealed in April at the site of the men's division I national championship in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The Racers are at home this week for games at the CFSB Center against UT Martin and Southeast Missouri State.
2018-19 OVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 12 Nick Mayo, Eastern Kentucky
Nov. 19 Terry Taylor, Austin Peay
Nov. 26 Ja Morant, Murray State
Dec. 3 Ja Morant, Murray State
Dec. 10 Nick Mayo, Eastern Kentucky
Dec. 17 Terry Taylor, APSU & Kevin McClain, Belmont
Dec. 26 Ja Morant, Murray State
Dec. 31 Mack Smith, Eastern Illinois
Jan. 7 Ja Morant, Murray State
Jan. 14 Ja Morant, Murray State
Jan. 21 Ja Morant, Murray State
Jan. 28 Kevin McClain, Belmont
Feb. 4 Terry Taylor, Austin Peay & Drew Windler, Belmont
Feb. 11 Dylan Windler, Belmont
Feb. 18 Ja Morant, Murray State & Terry Taylor, Austin Peay
Players Mentioned
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