Patriot League GEICO Men’s Basketball Players of the Week Announced (1.12.21)
Lafayette’s Stephens and Holy Cross’s Johnson capture weekly honors
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lafayette senior guard E.J. Stephens captured his first Patriot League GEICO Men’s Basketball Player of the Week and Holy Cross freshman guard R.J. Johnson received rookie of the week honors when the League office announced weekly accolades on Tuesday.
Stephens became the second-consecutive Leopard to earn GEICO Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honors after averaging 24.5 points during a two-game sweep over Bucknell. He scored a career-high 31 points in Lafayette’s 87-76 win over the Bison on Sunday. He shot 57 percent (16-for-28) from the floor to help Lafayette move into first place in the Central Division.
Johnson received his first GEICO Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Week award by averaging 8.5 points and 5.0 assists to help Holy Cross split a two-game series with Army West Point over the weekend. The Matthews, N.C. native shot 50 percent (4-for-8) from 3-point range during the two-game stretch to help the Crusaders move into a two-way tie for second place in the North Division.
Colgate senior guard Jordan Burns, Holy Cross senior guard Austin Butler, Lehigh junior center Nic Lynch and Navy junior guard John Carter Jr. each received an honorable mention for their performances during the second week of the League schedule.
The Patriot League men’s basketball players of the week are selected in a vote by League media members and each school’s sports information director, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.
2020-21 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Standings (as of 1.12.21)
| School |
Division |
Patriot League |
Overall |
| NORTH |
|
|
|
| Colgate |
3-1 |
3-1 |
3-1 |
| Army West Point |
2-2 |
2-2 |
6-3 |
| Holy Cross |
2-2 |
2-2 |
2-2 |
| Boston University |
1-3 |
1-3 |
1-3 |
| CENTRAL |
|
|
|
| Lafayette |
3-1 |
3-1 |
3-1 |
| Lehigh |
1-1 |
1-3 |
1-3 |
| Bucknell |
0-2 |
0-4 |
0-4 |
| SOUTH |
|
|
|
| Navy |
0-0 |
4-0 |
7-1 |
| American |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-0 |
| Loyola Maryland |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-0 |
PATRIOT LEAGUE GEICO MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
E.J. Stephens, Lafayette, Sr., G, Plantation, Fla./Saint Thomas Aquinas
*Stephens led the Leopards in scoring in both of their victories over Bucknell, averaging 24.5 points on 57 percent (16-for-28) shooting, including connecting on 45 percent (5-for-11) from beyond the arc.
*He scored a career-high 31 points while grabbing three rebounds and dishing out five assists in an 87-76 win over Bucknell on Sunday.
*He led five Leopards in double figures with 18 points, while adding three rebounds, two assists, four steals and a blocked shot in Saturday’s 83-60 win over the Bison.
PATRIOT LEAGUE GEICO MEN’S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
R.J. Johnson, Holy Cross, Fr., G, Matthews, N.C./Charlotte Latin
*Johnson averaged 8.5 points and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from 3-point range (4-for-8) to help Holy Cross split its weekend series with Army West Point.
*The freshman guard finished with eight points, two rebounds and two assists in Sunday’s 70-61 victory over the Black Knights.
*He totaled nine points with a career-high eight assists and two steals against Army West Point on Saturday.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Jordan Burns, Colgate, Sr., G, San Antonio, Texas/John Marshall
*Burns averaged 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists to lead Colgate to a two-game sweep over defending Patriot League Champion Boston University. He shot 55 percent (16-for-29) from the floor and 50 percent (7-for-14) from deep.
*He finished with 26 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals in Saturday’s 86-79 win over the Terriers.
Austin Butler, Holy Cross, Sr., G, Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe
*Butler averaged a double-double over the weekend with 14.5 points and 11.5 rebounds while shooting 64 percent (7-for-11) from deep to help Holy Cross split its weekend series with the Black Knights.
*The senior guard scored 13 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in the Crusaders’ 70-61 win at Army.
John Carter Jr., Navy, Jr., G, Battlefield, Mo./Kickapoo
*Carter Jr. scored 18 points in both of the Mids’ victories over Lehigh, leading the team in scoring in each game while extending their win streak to six games.
*He connected 4-of-7 from 3-point range in Navy’s 69-61 win over the Mountain Hawks on Saturday.
Nic Lynch, Lehigh, Jr., C, Seattle, Wash./Seattle Prep
*Lynch averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks during Lehigh’s two-game weekend series against Navy.
*The junior center led Lehigh with 17 points on 8-of-15 shooting to go along with six rebounds and a career-high three blocked shots in Saturday’s loss to the Mids.
Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
1.6 – Justin Jaworski, Lafayette, Sr., G
1.11 – E.J. Stephens, Lafayette, Sr., G
Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Week
1.6 – Andre Screen, Bucknell, Fr., C
1.11 – R.J. Johnson, Holy Cross, Fr. G
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth 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.