University of Massachusets Athletics
Pipkins Tabbed USBWA National Co-Player Of The Week
January 16, 2018 | Men's Basketball
Sophomore's record-breaking performances earns national recognition.
The A-10 Player of the Week honor on Monday for Pipkins marked the second time this season he has earned the accolade. Pipkins averaged 35.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game leading UMass to come-from-behind wins over La Salle (86-79, OT) and over Saint Joseph's (W, 72-69). The sophomore shot 54.5 percent from the floor, including 53.3 percent from the three-point arc, and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe.
In the La Salle win, Pipkins broke a nearly-50 year standing program record with a 44-point performance to set a new school record and a Mullins Center record. It was the ninth-best individual scoring effort in Atlantic 10 history and the second-most scored by a player nationally this season. His effort helped UMass rally from a 21-point second-half deficit for the overtime win as he went 15-of-27 from the field to break Billy Tindall's 41-point record set back in 1968. He also passed UMass Hall of Famer Tony Barbee for 16th all-time in career made three-pointers in the contest.
On Sunday, Pipkins was once again a spark plug for the Minutemen who overcame a 16-point second-half deficit against Saint Joseph's. He recorded a game-high 27 points while adding a team-leading seven rebounds and six assists to bring his averages for the week to 35.5 points per game, six rebounds per game and 5.5 assists per game. Pipkins performances pushed his season scoring average past the 20-point mark at 20.2 points per contest, ranking second in the A-10 in points per game.
Over the course of UMass' current three-game win streak, the guard has scored a total of 96 points (32.0 per game) in the Minutemen's wins at Dayton, versus La Salle and versus Saint Joseph's.
The Minutemen (10-8 Overall, 3-2 A-10) will return to the court on Wednesday as they head to Kingston, R.I. to take on Rhode Island in another league matchup at 7 p.m. on Jan. 17.
For continued coverage of UMass Men's Basketball, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at UMassBasketball.
HUTCHISON, PIPKINS ARE OSCAR
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ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected Boise State guard Chandler Hutchison and Massachusetts guard Luwane Pipkins as its Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Jan. 14. The USBWA's weekly honor is presented by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. As the Mountain West Conference and Atlantic 10 Conference Players of the Week, Hutchison and Pipkins were nominated for the weekly award, and then chosen by a representative of the USBWA board of directors from a list of Division I conference players of the week. This is the ninth season that the USBWA has selected a national player of the week. A 6-7 senior from Mission Viejo, Calif., Hutchison averaged 32.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in two games, wins at Fresno State and vs. San Diego State. Against San Diego State, Hutchison set a single-game school record with 44 points on 15-of-21 shooting from the field, including 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. Previously, he registered his eighth double-double of the season, scoring 21 points and pulling down 10 rebounds at Fresno State. For the week, Hutchison shot 54.5 percent (18-of-33) from the field, 63.6 percent from beyond the 3-point line (7-of-11) and 81.5 percent from the charity stripe (22-of-27). A 5-11 sophomore from Chicago, Ill., Pipkins averaged 35.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game leading UMass to wins over La Salle and Saint Joseph's. He shot 54.5 percent (24-of-44) from the floor, including 53.3 percent (8-for-15) from the 3-point arc, and 83.3 percent (15-of-18) from the charity stripe. His 44 points in the win over La Salle set a new single-game school record, eclipsing the nearly 50-year standing mark of 41 points and was a Mullins Center record. Pipkins added five rebounds and five assists to help UMass erase a 21-point second-half deficit. Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation's oldest award and the only one named after a former player. At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership. The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821. Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, the most comprehensive college basketball publication in the world, returns for its 37th season. Blue Ribbon – long-known as "The Bible of College Basketball" – gives its readers the most thorough, up-to-date and timely evaluations of every Division I team in the country. For more information about Blue Ribbon Yearbooks, visit blueribbonyearbookonline.com. 2017-18 Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week |
