ST. LOUIS (USBWA) The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected South Dakota State forward Mike Daum as its Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Feb. 24. The USBWA's weekly honor is presented by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.
As the Summit League Player of the Week, Daum was nominated for the weekly award, which was chosen by a representative of the USBWA board of directors from a list of Division I conference players of the week. The USBWA has named Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week since the 2009-10 season.
This is the second time for the 6-9 senior from Kimball, Neb., to earn the USBWA's National Player of the week award, the first coming in 2017 during his sophomore season. For the week, Daum averaged 31.5 points in two wins, eclipsed the 3,000-point career scoring mark and averaged 13.5 rebounds in becoming the Summit League's all-time leading rebounder. In the process, he passed Oscar Robertson on the NCAA all-time leading scorer list. Daum is now 10th all-time with 3,006 career points, moving ahead of "The Big O," who scored 2,973 career points.
Opening the week against Fort Wayne last Thursday, Daum posted an attention-grabbing 38-point, 20-rebound double-double in the Jackrabbits' 92-83 victory, becoming just the third player in the last 20 years to have multiple 30-20 games in a season. It was his 19th double-double this season. Daum followed that with a 25-point showing against in-state rival South Dakota, helping the Jackrabbits in a 94-89 victory. Daum's final field goal with 1:02 left was the game-winner for SDSU and gave him 3,000 points for his career.
Daum also earned the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honor in 2017 following a 51-point, 17-rebound game the week of Feb. 21. He has been named the Summit League's Player of the Week 18 times in his career and has 23 20-point games this season. Both his single-season and career totals for Player of the Week honors are the most in Summit League history.
Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation's oldest award and the only one named after a former player.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821.
Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, the most comprehensive college basketball publication in the world, returns for its 38th season. Blue Ribbon long-known as "The Bible of College Basketball" · gives its readers the most thorough, up-to-date and timely evaluations of every Division I team in the country. For more information about Blue Ribbon Yearbooks, visit
blueribbonyearbookonline.com.
2018-19 Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week
Week ending Dec. 2: Markus Howard, Marquette (Big
East Conference)
· Week ending Dec. 9: Admiral
Schofield, Tennessee (Southeastern Conference)
·
Week ending Dec. 16: Juwan Morgan, Indiana (Big Ten
Conference)
· Week ending Dec. 23: Markus Howard,
Marquette (Big East Conference)
· Week ending
Dec. 30: Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra (Colonial Athletic Association)
·
Week ending Jan. 6: Shamorie Ponds, St. John's (Big
East Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 13: Bruno
Fernando, Maryland (Big Ten Conference)
· Week
ending Jan. 20: Ja Morant, Murray State (Ohio Valley Conference)
·
Week ending Jan. 27: Grant Williams, Tennessee (Southeastern
Conference)
· Week ending Feb. 3: Chris Clemons,
Campbell (Big South Conference)
· Week ending
Feb. 10: Robert Franks, Washington State (Pac-12 Conference)
·
Week ending Feb. 17: PJ Washington, Kentucky (Southeastern
Conference)
·
Week ending Feb. 24: Mike Daum, South Dakota State (Summit League)
·
Week ending March 3: Fletcher Magee, Wofford (Southern Conference)