CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Boston University swept the Patriot League Men’s Basketball weekly awards, as senior guard Cedric Hankerson picked up his first career The Rock Player of the Week honor, while freshman forward Walter Whyte became the eighth different freshman to receive The Rock Rookie of the Week honor when awards were announced by the League office on Tuesday.
Hankerson scored 33 points on 10-of-14 shooting to lead Boston University over Army West Point, 90-82, in the League opener. It is Hankerson’s first career player of the week, and his second League weekly honor, having earned rookie of the week on December 23, 2013. Whyte picks up his first rookie of the week accolades after scoring a career-high 16 points and six rebounds to help defeat the Black Knights.
Bucknell senior center Nana Foulland highlights the weekly honorable mention list after registering his 19th career double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds against American. Colgate senior forward Jordan Swopshire scored 22 points to lead the Raiders over Holy Cross, Loyola Maryland senior guard Andre Walker’s late scoring outburst led the Greyhounds over Navy, and Lehigh senior guard Kahron Ross scored 17 points and had five assists in a win over Lafayette to all earn weekly 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
Cedric Hankerson, Boston University, Sr. G, 6-5, Miami, Fla./Coral Reef
Hankerson scored 33 points, going 10-for-14 from the floor, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range to lead Boston University over Army West Point, 90-82, in the League opener last Friday. Hankerson’s 10 field goals tied a career-high, as he finished one point shy of his personal best scoring output, while also finishing with five rebounds and two steals. The senior guard scored 10 straight points to help the Terriers pull away from the Black Knights late in the second half.
PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL THE ROCK ROOKIE OF THE WEEK,
Walter Whyte, Boston University, Fr., F, 6-6, New Haven, Conn./St. Luke’s
Whyte finished with a season-high 16 points and a team-high six rebounds to help Boston University defeat Army West Point, 90-82, in the League opener last Friday. The freshman wing shot 6-of-9 from the field, including 2-of-3 from deep to help the Terriers snap a three-game slide.
WEEKLY HONORABLE MENTION
Nana Foulland, Bucknell, Sr. C, 6-10, Reading, Pa./Berks Catholic
Foulland tallied 26 points and 11 rebounds for his 19th career double-double to lead Bucknell over American, 84-55, in its League opener. The senior center made 11-of-15 shots from the floor in 25 minutes. Foulland scored 18 points in the first half to help the Bison pull away from the Eagles early.
Jordan Swopshire, Colgate, Sr. F, 6-7, O’Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt South
Swopshire scored a game-high 22 points to help Colgate beat Holy Cross, 79-74, in Worcester, Mass. for the first time since the 2010-11 season. The senior forward connected on 4-of-7 shots from beyond the arc, to go along with seven rebounds, one assist and one steal. This was Swopshire’s first 20-plus point performance of the season.
Andre Walker, Loyola Maryland, Sr. G, 6-0, Westbury, N.Y./Christ The King
Walker led Loyola Maryland to a 72-63 victory over Navy in its League opener with a game-high 18 points. The senior guard scored seven-straight points with under four minutes to play to put the Greyhounds in front for good. He also finished with three assists, two rebounds and one steal.
Kahron Ross, Lehigh, Sr. G, 5-11, Jonesboro, Ark./Jonesboro
Ross scored a team-high 17 points to go along with five rebounds, five assists and one steal to help Lehigh come from behind to beat Lafayette, 79-74, in its League opener. His 591 career assists is nine short of breaking the Patriot League career record. Ross also became the first Lehigh player in program history to go 4-0 at Lafayette.
Previous Patriot League Men’s Basketball Weekly Award Winners
12.26.17
Player: Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr. F
Rookie: Jack Ferguson, Colgate, Fr. G
12.18.17
Player: Nana Foulland, Bucknell, Sr. C
Rookie: Alex King, Army West Point, Fr. F
12.11.17
Player: Kahron Ross, Lehigh, Sr., G
Rookie: Austin Butler, Holy Cross, Fr. G
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.