CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Lehigh senior guard Kahron Ross was selected as Patriot League Men’s Basketball The Rock Player of the Week, while Holy Cross freshman guard Austin Butler earned The Rock Rookie of the Week when honors were announced by the League office on Monday.
Ross averaged 18.5 points and 5.0 assists to help the Mountain Hawks go 1-1, while also becoming the program’s career assists leader on Saturday. This is Ross’s sixth career weekly honor from the League and his first player of the week award. He was a five-time rookie of the week selection during the 2014-15 season. Butler picks up his first career weekly honor after scoring 16 points to lead the Crusaders over New Hampshire, 62-58, on Saturday.
American junior forward Larry Motuzis scored a career-high 29 points in the Eagles’ 74-63 victory over Howard on Saturday to earn a spot on the weekly honorable mention list. Navy guard Shawn Anderson also earns honorable mention after averaging 14.0 points and 9.5 rebounds during a 2-0 week for the Mids, while Lafayette senior forward Matt Klinewski posted his first double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds against Penn on Wednesday to receive honorable mention.
The Patriot League Men’s Basketball The Rock Player and Rookie of the Week awards are selected in a vote by League media members and each school’s sports information director, who are not eligible to vote for their own student-athletes.
PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL THE ROCK PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kahron Ross, Lehigh, Sr., G, 5-11, Jonesboro, Ark./Jonesboro
Ross led the Mountain Hawks in scoring in both of last week’s games, averaging 18.5 points, to help the squad go 1-1. The senior guard finished with 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals in a victory over Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday. Ross also had 10 assists in two games to pass Mackey McKnight for Lehigh’s career assists record. His 582 career assists is 18 shy of breaking the Patriot League all-time record.
PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL THE ROCK ROOKIE OF THE WEEK,
Austin Butler, Holy Cross, Fr., G, 6-5, Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe Senior
Butler scored a career-high 16 points to lead the Crusaders to a 62-58 victory over New Hampshire on Saturday. The freshman guard connected on 4-of-7 shots from 3-point range, while also adding two steals and two assists. Butler scored 12 points in the final 14 minutes of the game to help Holy Cross snap a six-game slide.
WEEKLY HONORABLE MENTION
Shawn Anderson, Navy, Sr., G, 6-4, New Castle, Pa./New Castle
Anderson averaged a team-high 14.0 points and 9.5 rebounds during wins over Coppin State and Columbia, last week. The senior guard posted 21 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in his first career double-double to lead the Mids over Columbia on Saturday.
Larry Motuzis, American, Jr., F, 6-6, Darien, Ill./Saint Xavier
Motuzis scored a career-high 29 points to lead American to a victory against crosstown rival Howard on Saturday. His 29 points is an Eagles’ single-game high during Head Coach Mike Brennan’s tenure. The junior forward also finished with 11 points during a loss to Western Illinois on Wednesday.
Matt Klinewski, Lafayette, Sr., F, 6-8, Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional
Klinewski averaged 14.5 points and 9.0 rebounds during a 0-2 week for the Leopards. The senior forward registered his first double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds against Penn on Wednesday.
Previous Patriot League Men’s Basketball Weekly Award Winners
12.4.17
Player: Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr., F
Rookie: Justin Jaworski, Lafayette, Fr. G
11.27.17
Player: Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr., F
Rookie: Jimmy Sotos, Bucknell, Fr., G
11.20 17
Player: Jordan Fox, Army West Point, Jr., G
Rookie: Jordan Burns, Colgate, Fr., G
11.13 17
Player: Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr., F
Rookie: Caleb Green, Holy Cross, Fr., G
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its third decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.