Tuesday, February 01, 2011

MACON, Ga. – ETSU’s Mike Smith became the first Atlantic Sun men’s basketball player to win three Player of the Week awards since Mercer’s James Florence in 2008-09 and FGCU’s Christophe Varidel averaged more than 20 points per game to claim the Newcomer of the Week award, the conference announced on Tuesday.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Mike Smith, ETSU (Guard– Sr. – Vandalia, Mo. – Business)

• Third A-Sun Player of the Week award
• First to win three A-Sun weekly awards since Mercer’s James Florence in 2008-09
• Twice surpassed his career best for points in a game
• Eclipsed 20 points in each of the Bucs' three wins on the week
• Netted a then-career-high 27 against Kennesaw State before scoring 28 against Mercer
• Surpassed the 1,500-point plateau during the week (30th in A-Sun history to do so)
• Averaged 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists for the week
• Shot 58 percent from the 3-point arc, 56 percent from the field and 91 percent from the charity stripe (20-of-22)

OTHER NOMINEES:

• Jordan Burgason (Jr., Lipscomb) - Led the nation in 3-pointers for the week, making 15 treys as Lipscomb defeating previously unbeaten Belmont, Stetson and FGCU
• Delwan Graham (Jr., Jacksonville) - Hit two free throws with 0.7 left in overtime to give JU an OT win against UNF; just missed on a third straight double-double against Campbell

NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
Christophe Varidel, FGCU (Guard – Fr. – Versoix, Switzerland – Undeclared)

• First A-Sun Newcomer of the Week award
• Led the Eagles in scoring all three games
• Scored a season-high 29 points on a season-best six 3-pointers in triple OT win at Stetson
• Followed with 15 points at A-Sun leader Belmont
• Poured in a team-high 18 points at Lipscomb
• Has reached double figures in eight-straight games

OTHER NOMINEES:

• Torrey Craig (Fr., USC Upstate) - Recorded his 13th-straight double-figure scoring game as the Spartans beat Kennesaw State, 59-54; set a career high with 27 points on Monday
• Eric Griffin (Jr., Campbell) - Scored 20-plus points in a pair of A-Sun games; Tallied a career-high 23 points at UNF; added 21 points and eight rebounds at Jacksonville
• Keith McDougald (Fr., Jacksonville) - Led JU with 15 points at Campbell, scoring five points in the last five minutes; connected on 3-of-5 from the 3-point arc

Follow the Atlantic Sun on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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.