MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Loyola Wolf Pack men’s basketball team has dominated the weekly conference awards this season, and that continued to be proven true Monday afternoon.
For the second time this season, senior Zach Wrightsil was named the Southern States Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after two solid performances last week. It’s the sixth time of his career the Prosper, Texas, native has been recognized for this honor as well, and the sixth time a Wolf Pack basketball player has earned that honor this season, too.
Senior Myles Burns has a team-high three player of the week honors and sophomore Brandon Davis picked up his first career honor early in the season. No other team in the conference has won the award more than three times this season, and Loyola is the only team in the league with more than two selections.
No. 1 Loyola split its two games last week, suffering its first defeat of the season at Faulkner last Monday while taking down William Carey in The Den Saturday evening. The Wolf Pack now owns a 17-1 overall record and a 6-1 mark in the SSAC, and they’re set to host Middle Georgia State and Brewton-Parker this Thursday and Saturday. Tip-off against the Knights is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, and Saturday’s matinee with the Barons is set for 2 p.m.
Wrightsil began his week with an 18-point, nine-rebound performance against the Eagles, also recording three steals and a block in the contest. Against the Crusaders, he scored a team-high 20 points while pulling down eight rebounds, dishing eight assists, and notching a block and a steal in just 25 minutes.
The senior leads the Pack by averaging 16.1 points per game, and he’s second on the team in rebounds (8) and third in assists (2.7). Wrightsil also averages 2.4 steals a game and 1.1 blocks, while ranking 16th in the NAIA with 44 total steals this season and 18th with 63 offensive rebounds. Currently, he ranks first in the SSAC for field goal percentage (60.7 percent), and second in both rebounds and steals per game.
The Wolf Pack has been ranked No. 1 in the last two NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 polls, and the latest poll will be released Wednesday.
Previous Winners
Week 1: Kamron Brice (Talladega)
Week 2: Vatangoe Donzo (Blue Mountain)
Week 3: Brandon Davis (Loyola)
Week 4: Tariq Meredith (Blue Mountain)
Week 5: Myles Burns (Loyola)
Week 6: Zach Wrightsil (Loyola)
Week 7: Myles Burns (Loyola)
Week 8: Vatangoe Donzo (Blue Mountain)
Week 9: C.J. Hines (Faulkner)
Week 10: Myles Burns (Loyola)
Week 11: C.J. Hines (Faulkner)
Week 12: Joshua Williams (Mobile)
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{Courtesy: release from Loyola Athletics}