DAVIDSON, TAYLOR ARE USBWA DIV. III NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA)Jack Davidson of Wabash College (Crawfordsville, Ind.) and Jenna Taylor of Simpson College (Indianola, Iowa) were named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Players of the Week for the week ending January 2.

Davidson, a 6-1 senior guard from Fishers, Ind., averaged a double-double in leading Wabash (9-3, 4-1) to a pair of conference victories. On Tuesday, December 21, he scored 33 points (10-of-16 FG, 7-of-8 FT, 6-of-8 3FG), collected seven rebounds and added six assists in a 96-84 win over Anderson. Davidson then tied a career high with 13 rebounds to go with 25 points (6-of-14 FG, 10-of-11 FT, 3-of-8 3FG) and four assists in the Little Giants' 75-74 victory over Oberlin on Thursday, December 30. Over the two games, he averaged 29.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting 53.3 percent (16-of-30) from the field, 89.5 percent (17-of-19) from the from the foul line and 56.3 percent (9-of-16) from three-point range. For his efforts, Feely, who currently ranks fourth in NCAA Division III in free throws made (68), was also named North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Player of the Week.

Taylor a 6-0 graduate forward from Creston, Iowa, helped lead No. 6 (D3hoops.com) Simpson to four victories during the holiday break. She posted back-to-back double-doubles against Alfred and Westminster (Mo.) on Monday and Tuesday, December 20-21, at the Daytona Beach Shootout. Taylor finished with 26 points (11-of-17 FG, 3-of-5 FT, 1-of-3 3FG), 10 rebounds, an assist and a steal in the 94-57 win over Alfred and again had 26 points (11-of-19 FG, 4-of-11 3FG) and 10 rebounds, while adding an assist and two steals in the 99-66 victory against Westminster. Then, playing in the Loras Holiday Classic on Wednesday and Thursday, December 29-30, she began with an 18-point (8-of-16 FG, 2-of-4 3FG), four-rebound, three-assist, onesteal performance in an 85-82 victory over UW-La Crosse. The next day, Taylor was limited to 13 minutes due to foul trouble, but still scored 16 points (6-of-8 FG, 4-of-5 FT) and added four rebounds and a steal in the Storm's 89-76 win over Bethany Lutheran. Overall, she averaged 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists and steals while shooting 60 percent from both the field (36-of-60) and foul line (3-of-5), while hitting at a 47.8 percent clip (11-of-23) from three-point range. For her efforts, Taylor was also named American Rivers Conference (ARC) Player of the Week.

Each Tuesday, the USBWA is selecting men's and women's Division III National Players of the Week. The program has resumed after a one-season hiatus and this is the seventh season that the USBWA will recognize national players of the week from Division III.

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 its award programs, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.

2021-22 USBWA Division III National Players of the Week

Week ending Nov. 21: Buzz Anthony, Randolph-Macon
College and Abbey Lawrence, Case Western Reserve University

·
Week ending Nov. 28: Ryan Turell, Yeshiva University
and Claudia Cooke, Kenyon College

· Week
ending Dec. 5: Lyle Tipton, Geneva College and Meg Carroll, Lasell University


· Week ending Dec. 12: Ryan Turell, Yeshiva
University and Hanna Geistfeld, Bethany Lutheran College

·
Week ending Dec. 19: Luke Feely, University
of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Cayla Sharkey, Gwynedd Mercy University

·
Week ending Jan. 2: Jack Davidson, Wabash College
and Jenna Taylor, Simpson College

· Week
ending Jan. 9: Alex Sobel, Middlebury College and Aleah Grundahl, University of
Wisconsin-Whitewater

· Week ending Jan.
16: Christian Stewart, Spalding University and Camille Zinaich, Oberlin College


· Week ending Jan. 23: Levi Borchert, University
of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Hanna Geistfeld, Bethany Lutheran College

·
Week ending Jan. 30: Christian Parker, University
of Mount Union and Flannery O'Connor, Framingham State University

·
Week ending Feb. 6: Jackson Danzig, University
of Scranton and Bailey Donovan, Husson University

·
Week ending Feb. 13: Matthew Leritz, Illinois
Wesleyan University and Hanna Geistfeld, Bethany Lutheran College

·
Week ending Feb. 20: Austin Grunder, SUNY Cortland
and Elyce Knudsen, Millikin University

·
Week ending Feb. 27: Jack Davidson, Wabash College
and Anaya Simmons, Christopher Newport University