A-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Gary Forbes - Massachusetts
Senior, Guard/Forward, 6-7, 220 lbs.
Brooklyn, N.Y/Benjamin Banneker Academy
Forbes (a Virginia transfer) averaged 23.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in a pair of wins for the Minutemen...scored 22 points, including 17 in the second half, and pulled down seven rebounds in Massachusetts' 83-80 victory at Boston College on Dec. 12...scored a team-high 25 points on Dec. 15 as UMass turned aside Toledo, 68-61...shot 15-of-28 from the field and 18-for-19 from the line on the week...named the A-10 Player of the Week for the second time this season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Chris Wright - Dayton
Freshman, Forward, 6-8, 202 lbs.
Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison HS
Wright scored 13 points and pulled down five rebounds in 20 minutes of action on Dec. 15 as Dayton downed Coppin State, 66-34...shot 3-of-5 from the field and 7-for-8 from the line...added a pair of blocks...named the A-10 Rookie of the Week for the fourth time.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE ATLANTIC 10
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
- Senior guard Leemire Goldwire poured in a team-high 26 points on eight field goals from beyond the arc on Dec. 15 as Charlotte was edged at Hofstra, 70-68
- Dayton senior guard Brian Roberts scored 14 points and dished out seven assists in the Flyers' 66-34 victory over Coppin State on Dec. 15
- Junior forward Rob Diggs notched his fourth career double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds in George Washington's 71-59 loss at Binghamton on Dec. 13
- Massachusetts sophomore guard Ricky Harris matched his career high with 25 points on Dec. 12 as the Minutemen earned an 83-80 win at Boston College
- Junior guard Tasheed Carr scored a career-high 23 points in Saint Joseph's 90-84 (OT) loss at Creighton on Dec. 9
- St. Bonaventure freshman guard Hillary Haley scored 13 points in the Bonnies' 55-48 setback at Hampton on Dec. 15
- Junior guard Kevin Lisch knocked down five free throws in the final minute en route to scoring a team-high 20 points as Saint Louis edged Southern Illinois on Dec. 15, 56-51
- Temple senior guard Mark Tyndale averaged 19 points, seven rebounds and 6.5 assists in a pair of contests
- Sophomore forward Derrick Brown scored 17 points on Dec. 12 as Xavier earned a 64-59 win over Cincinnati
BIG D IN DAYTON
Dayton's 66-34 win over Coppin State on Dec. 15 marked the fifth-lowest point total allowed by the Flyers in the post World War II era. In addition, UD recorded eight blocks in the contest, one shy of the program record.
OVERTIME AIN'T MY TIME
Two of Saint Joseph's four losses this season have come in overtime, including a 90-84 setback at Creighton on Dec. 9. The Hawks have dropped seven consecutive overtime contests, with their last win coming on Dec. 31, 2002, when Jameer Nelson hit a last-second shot to defeat Gonzaga.
50'S STYLE
Saint Louis rallied for a 56-51 win over Southern Illinois on Dec. 15 to improve to 6-0 on the year when holding its opponents to under 60 points. The Billikens lead the A-10 in scoring defense (59.2 ppg.) and are yielding an average of just 28.7 points in the first half through 12 games.
DIGGING IN
George Washington junior forward Rob Diggs notched his third double-double of the season and fourth of his career on Dec. 13 with 20 points and a career-best 16 rebounds at Binghamton. Diggs has grabbed 10 or more rebounds three times this season, which is tied for second in the Conference. Junior Kahiem Seawright of Rhode Island leads the A-10 with five double-digit rebounding performances on the year.
IN STYLE
Kieron Achara of Duquesne, Rhode Island's Will Daniels and Brian Roberts of Dayton are among 30 seniors named as official candidates for the 2007-08 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. CLASS is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School and was launched during the 2001-02 season to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season and complete college education brings. Previous award winners include David West of Xavier (2003) and Saint Joseph's Jameer Nelson (2004).
SCINTILLATING AT HOME
Xavier extended its home-winning streak to 14 games after earning a 64-59 win over Cincinnati on Dec. 12. The Musketeers' lost home loss was a 68-67 setback to Bucknell on Dec. 20, 2006. XU has compiled a mark of 96-15 all-time at Cintas Center, including a 50-10 ledger versus non-conference opponents. The Musketeers return home on Dec. 22 to face #12/#11 Tennessee. It will be the first game at Cintas Center between two ranked teams since then No. 19 Xavier defeated No. 15 Creighton, 75-73, on Dec. 31, 2002.
BIRTHDAY WISHES
Dayton head coach Brian Gregory celebrated his 41st birthday on Dec. 15 when his Flyers extended their winning streak to seven games as it downed Coppin State, 66-34.
SLICK RICK
Sophomore guard Ricky Harris matched his career high with 25 points on Dec. 12 as Massachusetts earned an 83-80 win at Boston College, the Minutemen's first win over their in-state rival since 1999. Harris has scored 20 points or more in six of the team's ten contests this season and has reached double figures in every game. His 19.9 ppg. average is good for third in the Conference and up from 4.5 ppg. a year ago. Harris and senior Gary Forbes (21.5 ppg.) have scored 20 points apiece in four of the Minutemen's ten contests this season.
RAM POWER
Rhode Island is 10-1 for the first time since the 1991-92 campaign, when it opened the season with 12 wins in its first 13 games. URI was the first team in the nation to reach the 10-win mark this season.
FULL OF THIEVES
Richmond recorded eight steals in its game at Virginia Commonwealth on Dec. 8. The Spiders have registered at least seven steals in every game this season.
STRIKING GOLD
Leemire Goldwire of Charlotte knocked down eight three-pointers at Hofstra on Dec. 15, the seventh time this season the senior guard has made at least three field goals from beyond the arc in a game. His 253 career three-pointers rank fourth in program history.
FLYING HIGH
Boasting a 3-1 record on the road, Dayton has already surpassed its number of road victories from last season and are the lone team in the nation this season to earn three road wins over teams ranked in the RPI top 50.
DID YOU KNOW?
Duquesne junior Shawn James has blocked at least one shot in every college game he has played (64 total games).
A-10 Players of the Week
Nov. 5-10 Kieron Achara, Duquesne
Nov. 11-17 Will Daniels, Rhode Island
Gary Forbes, Massachusetts
Nov. 18-24 Will Daniels, Rhode Island
Nov. 25 - Dec. 1 Michael Lee, St. Bonaventure
Joe Mbang, Rhode Island
Dec. 2-8 Leemire Goldwire, Charlotte
Drew Lavender, Xavier
Dec. 9-15 Gary Forbes, Massachusetts
A-10 Rookies of the Week
Nov. 5-10 Chris Wright, Dayton
Nov. 11-17 Damian Saunders, Duquesne
Nov. 18-24 Chris Wright, Dayton
Nov. 25 - Dec. 1 An'Juan Wilderness, Charlotte
Dec. 2-8 Chris Wright, Dayton
Dec. 9-15 Chris Wright, Dayton