Tuesday, December 07, 2010

MACON, Ga. – Jacksonville’s Ayron Hardy paced the Dolphins to two conference wins to earn the Atlantic Sun’s Player of the Week award while USC Upstate’s Torrey Craig became the first multiple recipient of the league’s Newcomer of the Week award, the conference announced on Tuesday.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Ayron Hardy, Jacksonville (F – Sr. – Birmingham, Ala. – Business Administration)

• First A-Sun Player of the Week award
• Averaged 11.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 3.5 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.5 BPG and shot 60 FG Pct
• Moved to within six steals of Otis Smith (sixth place) on the school's all-time list
• Helped lead JU to its third 2-0 A-Sun start in the last four years
• JU off to best 7-game start since starting 7-0 in 2000-01.
• Double-double vs FGCU is his second of the year and third of his career
• Ranks second in the nation in steals per game and in the top 20 in FG percentage

OTHER NOMINEES:

• Anthony Banks (So., FGCU) – Scored a team-best 19 points and seven rebounds at UNF and followed with 18 points and a career-high 14 rebounds at Jacksonville.
• Adnan Hodzic (Sr., Lipscomb) – Led all scorers with 28 points on 10-of-12 shooting to give the Bisons a 77-65 conference-opening victory against Mercer.
• Brian Mills (Sr., Mercer) – Shared team scoring lead with 15 points at Lipscomb; grabbed game-high 12 rebounds for his second double-double. Averaged 14.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG.

NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
Torrey Craig, USC Upstate (F – Fr. – Rock Hill, S.C. – Undeclared)

• Second A-Sun Newcomer of the Week award
• Notched his second straight double-double (18 points, career best 15 rebounds) vs ETSU
• His 15 rebounds ranks the second most in the A-Sun this season and the third most by a freshman in the nation this season
• He became the first Spartan to grab 15 or more rebounds in a single game since Bobby Davis grabbed 16 at UNF on Jan. 30, 2009.
• Averaging 7.3 rebounds, ranking 12th among freshmen in the country

OTHER NOMINEES:

• Langston Hall (Fr., Mercer) – Averaged 11.5 PPG, led Bears with 15 points at Lipscomb
• Keith McDougald (Fr., Jacksonville) – Led JU with 13 points in win over Stetson

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts five of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.