BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Army West Point sophomore guard Jalen Rucker received Patriot League GEICO Men’s Basketball Player of the Week when the League office announced weekly accolades on Monday. Lehigh freshman guard Keith Higgins Jr. captured rookie of the week honors.
Rucker collected GEICO Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the first time after averaging 21.5 points, five rebounds and 4.5 assists to lead Army West Point to victories against Bucknell (96-89) and Lehigh (77-55). Rucker and the Black Knights are unbeaten in League play at 3-0, their best start since the 2013-14 season.
Higgins Jr. earned GEICO Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Week honors for the first time after averaging 18.0 points on 65 percent shooting (13-for-20) from the floor to help Lehigh go 1-1 last week, including a win over Colgate (85-81).
Boston University graduate student Sukhmail Mathon, Colgate senior guard Tucker Richardson, Holy Cross senior forward Gerrale Gates, Loyola Maryland junior guard Cam Spencer and Navy senior guard John Carter Jr. received honorable mentions for their performances last week.
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.
2021-22 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Standings (as of 1.10.22)
| School |
Patriot League |
Pct. |
Overall |
Pct. |
| Navy |
3-0 |
1.000 |
10-4 |
.714 |
| Army West Point |
3-0 |
1.000 |
9-6 |
.600 |
| Loyola Maryland |
2-1 |
.667 |
8-6 |
.571 |
| Lehigh |
2-1 |
.667 |
4-11 |
.267 |
| Boston University |
1-2 |
.333 |
10-6 |
.625 |
| Holy Cross |
1-2 |
.333 |
3-12 |
.200 |
| American |
0-1 |
.000 |
4-9 |
.308 |
| Colgate |
0-1 |
.000 |
4-10 |
.286 |
| Lafayette |
0-1 |
.000 |
3-9 |
.250 |
| Bucknell |
0-3 |
.000 |
3-12 |
.200 |
Patriot League Composite Men’s Basketball Schedule
PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL GEICO PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jalen Rucker, Army West Point, So., G, Baltimore, Md./Gilman(USMAPS)
*Rucker averaged 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 52 percent from the floor (15-for-29) to lead Army West Point to a 2-0 week with wins over Bucknell and Lehigh.
*The Baltimore, Md. native recorded team-highs of 21 points, five rebounds and five assists in the Black Knights’ 96-89 victory over the Bison.
*Rucker scored a game-high 22 points, his third straight game with 20 or more points, in addition to five rebounds, four assists and two steals in Army West Point’s 77-55 win over Lehigh.
PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL GEICO ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Keith Higgins Jr., Lehigh, Fr., G, West Hills, Calif./Chaminade Prep
*Higgins Jr. averaged 18.0 points on 65 percent (13-for-20) shooting from the floor, including 50 percent (5-for-10) from beyond the arc, to help Lehigh to a 1-1 week.
*The freshman guard scored 16 of his career-high 23 points in the second half to lead the Mountain Hawks to an 85-81 victory over Colgate. He also added five rebounds and four assists with zero turnovers against the Raiders.
*He scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor and 3-of-4 from deep in a loss at Army West Point.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Sukhmail Mathon, Boston University, Gr., F, Shavertown, Pa./Holderness School (N.H.)
*Mathon averaged 18.0 points on 59 percent (13-for-22) shooting from the floor, in addition to 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block in losses against Navy and Loyola Maryland last week. Mathon finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists against the Mids on Tuesday.
Tucker Richardson, Colgate, Sr., G, Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central
*Richardson finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists in a loss at Lehigh on Tuesday. The senior guard went 4-for-4 from the perimeter and 8-for-13 from the floor.
Gerrale Gates, Holy Cross, Sr., F, Charlotte, N.C./David W. Butler
*Gates averaged 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 53 percent (16-for-30) from the floor during the Crusaders’ 1-1 week that included a victory over Lafayette (79-74). Gates tied his career-high with 27 points and pulled down a career-high 14 boards against the Leopards.
Cam Spencer, Loyola Maryland, Jr., G, Davidsonville, Md./Boys’ Latin
*Spencer averaged 19.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists to help Loyola Maryland go 2-0 last week with wins over Holy Cross (79-70) and Boston University (66-58). He scored 19 points in both games and shot .517 (15-for-29) from the floor to help the Greyhounds improve to 2-1 in League play.
John Carter Jr., Navy, Sr., G, Spring Hill, Tenn./Summit
*Carter Jr. helped the Mids remain unbeaten in League play by averaging 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in wins against Boston University (83-71) and Bucknell (73-55). Carter Jr. scored a season-high 23 points against the Terriers on 9-of-16 shooting from the floor, including making 4-of-5 from 3-point range.
GEICO Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
11.15 – Stacy Beckton Jr., American, Sr., G
11.22 – Jack Ferguson, Colgate, Sr., G
11.29 – Alex Timmerman, Bucknell, Jr., C
12.6 – Javante McCoy, Boston University, Gr., G
12.13 – Nelly Cummings, Colgate, Sr., G
12.20 – Andrew Funk, Colgate, Sr., G
12.27 – Josh Caldwell, Army West Point, Sr., G
1.3 – Sukhmail Mathon, Boston University, Gr., F
1.10 – Jalen Rucker, Army West Point, So., G
GEICO Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Week
11.15 – Kyrell Luc, Holy Cross, Fr., G
11.22 – Kyrell Luc, Holy Cross, Fr., G
11.29 – David Brown III, Loyola Maryland, Fr., G
12.6 – C.J. Fulton, Lafayette, Fr., G
12.13 – Milos Ilic, Loyola Maryland, Fr., F
12.20 – Kyrell Luc, Holy Cross, Fr., G
12.27 – C.J. Fulton, Lafayette, Fr., G
1.3 – Elijah Stephens, American, Fr., G
1.10 – Keith Higgins Jr., Lehigh, Fr., G
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athlete 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.