Player of the Week:
Donovan Dent (Jr., New Mexico)
Do it all Donovan Dent is the best way to put it for him. He does a lot of this New Mexico team that is asked from him in order for the team to win and be successful. He does that all at a very high clip. This week was no exception. The first game this week Donovan finished with 25 points 2 rebounds and 6 assists. Then in the next game he finished with 20 points 6 rebounds and 7 assists. New Mexico is now 20-4 on the season riding a 7-game winning streak and 1st place in the Moutain West Conference. Donovan Dent is averaging 19.6 points per game which is 23rd in the country, and also 6.5 assists per game which is 9th in the country.
Who’s Hot:
Mason Falslev (So., Utah State)
In only his Sophomore year Mason is putting together a great season for him and helping this Utah State team keep winning. You saw it in his weeks play in the first game this week he had 16 points 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Then followed that performance up with a 22 point 5 rebounds and 5 assists game. Where Utah State would win both games, they are currently 22-3 on the season.
Augustas Marciulionis (Sr., Saint Mary’s)
Augustas was not playing his best basketball as of late, but he is starting to get out of that slump and starting to perform again for this team at the level that his team needs him to. Playing much the whole game day in and day out you expect his numbers to look like they did this week the first game this week he finished with 18 points 6 rebounds and 10 assists. Then the next game he finished with 24 points 3 rebounds and 6 assists. Where they won both games this week after coming off a bad loss against San Francisco.
Who’s Not:
Joe Bamisile (Sr., VCU)
Bamisile is definitely in a shooting slump as of late and nothing changed for him this week. In his first game this week he had 7 points 5 rebounds and 1 assist. While shooting 14.3% from 3pt line and only 25% from the field. The next game he did have 14 points with 5 rebounds but still only shooting 28.6% from 3pt line and 38.5% from the field. He is averaging 15.8 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game he needs to get back to that.
Tyler McGhie (Sr., UC San Diego)
Benn a rough week for Tyler after coming off a great week but that is basketball. Tyler is averaging 16.6 points per game but was not close to that average at all this week. In the first game this week he finished with 5 points and 1 rebound. Dealing with foul trouble all night did not help; he finished with 4 fouls. In the next game McGhie finished with 10 points 3 rebounds and 4 assists but was not efficient. He shot 28.6% from the 3pt line and then 33.3% from the field. He will look to get out of the slump on 2/15 where UCSD will travel and play Hawai’i.
Top 5 teams outside the Power 5 Conferences
5. New Mexico – Mountain West
We have a new number 5 in my rankings of the top 5 teams outside the Power 5 Conferences. That team is New Mexico coming out of the Moutain West conference. New Mexico is now on a 7-game winning streak and have been blowing out pretty much everyone in their path. They also have the win over Utah State earlier in the month also. The Lobos are now in 1st place in the Moutain West Conference with a 13-1 record on the season sitting with a 1 game lead.
4. Drake – MVC
I say this every week, but Drake just keeps on winning and they did that again once this week picking up wins over Indiana St and Illinois St bot games were pretty close, but they just keep finding a way. They are now on an 11-game winning streak. The record for the season is 23-2 and then 13-2 in conference play. They are sitting 1st in their conference with a 2-game lead.
3. Gonzaga – West Coast Conference
Gonzaga had a solid week of basketball this week picking up 2 wins over Pacific and a good San Francisco team. The story with this team is they beat most of the teams that they should but cannot beat teams they aren’t favored against. They have a couple of big games coming up in recent weeks and days for another chance to show them who they can be. Gonzaga is now 19-7 on the season and 10-3 in conference play. They moved up to 2nd place in conference with the win over San Francisco they are still 2 games back of 1st in conference play.
2. Saint Mary’s – West Coast Conference
That one-point loss to San Francisco I think re opened the eyes of the players on this Saint Mary’s team and you saw that this week of basketball from them. Saint Mary’s picked up two double digit wins this week over Oregon St and Santa Clara. They are starting up the win streak again and will look to keep it going. The Gaels are 22-4 on the season and 12-1 in conference play. They are sitting in 1st in conference play, and it looks like it’s their conference to lose at this point with a 2-game lead.
1. Memphis – AAC
Memphis has just been great, and they continue to be great. This team is hot and really starting to get it figured out at the right time. Now ranked 14th in the country it looks like they won’t lose that ranking any time soon. The Tigers picked up two more wins this week against Temple and South Florida. Memphis is now on an 8-game winning streak moving their record to 21-4 on the season and 11-1 in conference play. Obviously, 1st in conference play with a two-game lead and looks like that lead not going anywhere if they keep this play up.