BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Army West Point senior guard Jalen Rucker was named Patriot League Men’s Basketball PenFed Credit Union Player of the Week when the League office announced weekly honors on Monday. Lafayette freshman guard Caleb Williams claimed Rookie of the Week honors.
Rucker received Patriot League Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the third time this season and the sixth time in his career after averaging 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game to lead Army West Point to victories over Loyola Maryland (74-72) and Lehigh (74-69) last week.
Williams won his first Patriot League Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Week award after averaging 13.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists to help Lafayette split a pair of League games, including an 85-62 win against Holy Cross on Saturday.
American graduate student forward Matt Rogers, Colgate fifth-year center Jeff Woodward, Holy Cross sophomore guard Joe Nugent, Loyola Maryland sophomore guard Jacob Theodosiou and Navy junior center Aidan Kehoe earned 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 men’s basketball athletics communications contacts, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.
2024 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Standings (as of January 13)
| School |
PL |
PL Pct. |
Overall |
Overall Pct. |
| Colgate |
3-1 |
.750 |
6-11 |
.353 |
| Holy Cross |
2-2 |
.500 |
10-7 |
.588 |
| Army West Point |
2-2 |
.500 |
8-8 |
.500 |
| American |
2-2 |
.500 |
8-9 |
.471 |
| Boston University |
2-2 |
.500 |
8-9 |
.471 |
| Loyola Maryland |
2-2 |
.500 |
7-8 |
.467 |
| Lafayette |
2-2 |
.500 |
7-10 |
.412 |
| Bucknell |
2-2 |
.500 |
6-11 |
.353 |
| Navy |
2-2 |
.500 |
5-12 |
.294 |
| Lehigh |
1-3 |
.250 |
6-9 |
.400 |
ONLINE SCHEDULE |
ONLINE STATS
PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jalen Rucker, Army West Point, Sr., G, Baltimore, Md./Gilman
*Rucker averaged 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game to lead Army West Point to victories over Loyola Maryland (74-72) and Lehigh (74-69) last week.
*He scored a game-high 26 points in Wednesday’s win against the Greyhounds.
*Rucker scored five of his 14 points in the final 30 seconds to lead the Black Knights over the Mountain Hawks.
PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Caleb Williams, Lafayette, Fr., G, Jacksonville, Fla./Jean Ribault
*Williams averaged 13.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game to help the Leopards split a pair of League games, including an 82-65 victory over Holy Cross on Saturday.
*The freshman guard posted 15 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals in Lafayette’s victory over the Crusaders.
*He posted 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals in the Leopards’ 65-62 loss at Bucknell on Wednesday.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Matt Rogers, American, Gr., F, Knoxville, Md./St. Maria Goretti
*Rogers averaged 21.0 points on 65 percent (15-of-23) shooting from the floor, including 50 percent (4-of-8) from long distance during the Eagles’ 1-1 week. The Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year posted 20 points and four steals in a 68-58 comeback win against Bucknell on Saturday. He finished with 22 points and six boards at BU on Wednesday.
Jeff Woodward, Colgate, 5th-year, C, Audubon, Pa./Methacton
*Woodward averaged 19.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 59 percent (16-of-27) from the field to help Colgate go 2-0 last week. The fifth-year center posted career-highs of 20 points and 12 rebounds in the Raiders’ 67-62 win against Lehigh on Wednesday. He finished with 18 points and a season-high seven assists in 22 minutes in Colgate’s 87-50 victory vs. Boston University on Saturday.
Joe Nugent, Holy Cross, So., G/F, Berkley, Mass./Tabor Academy
*Nugent averaged 19.5 points on 54.2 percent (13-of-24) shooting from the field and 53.3 percent (8-of-15) from 3-point range to help Holy Cross split a pair of games last week. The sophomore also averaged 6.5 rebounds per game. He posted 21 points and grabbed nine boards in a 70-59 win against Navy on Wednesday.
Jacob Theodosiou, Loyola Maryland, So., G, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada/Western Reserve Academy
*Theodosiou finished with 19.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in two games last week, helping Loyola Maryland earn a 75-74 win over Navy on Saturday. The sophomore guard scored a career-high 27 points, shooting 6-of-11 from long distance, in the Greyhounds’ one-point win over the Mids. He posted 11 points and seven rebounds in a loss against Army West Point.
Aidan Kehoe, Navy, Jr., C, Montvale, N.J./Pascack Hills
*Kehoe recorded a pair of double-doubles, averaging 17.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game on 89.5 percent (17-of-19) shooting from the floor. The junior center finished with 18 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in a loss at Holy Cross on Wednesday. He shot 8-of-8 from the floor to finish with 16 points and 12 rebounds in a loss at Loyola Maryland. Kehoe is the first Mid since David Robinson to register five straight double-doubles.
Player of the Week
11.11 – Austin Benigni, Navy, Jr., G
11.18 - Max Green, Holy Cross, Fr., G
11.25 – Elijah Stephens, American, Sr., G
12.2 – Milos Ilic, Loyola Maryland, Sr., F
12.9 – Jalen Rucker, Army West Point, Sr., G
12.6 – Jordan Stiemke, Loyola Maryland, So., G/F
12.23 – Joe Nugent, Holy Cross, So, G/F
12.30 - Jalen Rucker, Army West Point, Sr., G
1.6 – Donovan Draper, Navy, Jr., F
1.13 – Jalen Rucker, Army West Point, Sr., G
Rookie of the Week
11.11 – Braeden Speed, Loyola Maryland, Fr., G
11.18 – Max Green, Holy Cross, Fr., G
11.25 – Azmar Abdullah, Boston University, Fr., G
12.2 – Alex Chaikin, Lafayette, Fr., G
12.9 – Max Green, Holy Cross, Fr., G
12.6 – Braeden Speed, Loyola Maryland, Fr., G
12.23 – Max Green, Holy Cross, Fr., G
12.30 – Max Green, Holy Cross, Fr., G
1.6 - Max Green, Holy Cross, Fr., G
1.13 – Caleb Williams, Lafayette, 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 who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.