ST. LOUIS (USBWA) The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected the Creighton forward Doug McDermott as its Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Feb. 16. The USBWA's weekly honor is presented by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and is announced exclusively on SiriusXM Radio's "Inside College Basketball."
As the Big East Conference Player of the Week, McDermott 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.
McDermott, a 6-8 senior from Ames, Iowa, averaged 32.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in a pair of wins last week to lead the Bluejays back into first place in the Big East. He shot 24-for-36 from the field (.667), 7-for-11 from three-point range (.636) and also was perfect in 10 free throw attempts (1.000).
McDermott's week began last Thursday with 26 points and five rebounds in a 68-63 win at Butler. With Creighton trailing by two in the final minute, his three-pointer with 47.8 seconds left started a game-ending 7-0 run. He sank 11-of-19 shots from the field, including 3-of-5 shots from three-point range. On Sunday, McDermott tied a season-high with 39 points in a 101-80 thumping of No. 6 Villanova. He scored Creighton's first 11 points and made 13-of-17 shots, including 4-for-6 from three-point range, and was also perfect on nine free throw. His three-pointer with 13:23 left moved him into 13th place on the NCAA all-time scoring list (2.863 points), passing Hall of Famer Larry Bird.
For the second time this season and the fourth time in his career, McDermott has been honored as the National Player of the Week by the USBWA. McDermott has earned the honor once in each of the previous two seasons (Week of Dec. 16, 2013, and week of Dec. 25, 2012) while Creighton was a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. This season, he previously earned the honor the week of Jan. 14.
This is the fifth season that the USBWA has selected a national player of the week. The weekly Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week will be considered for the Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list, which will be released at mid-season.
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 winner of the Oscar Robertson Trophy will be presented by its namesake, Oscar Robertson, at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards on April 14 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award and the Integris Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award will also be presented at the gala to be held annually the Monday following the NCAA Men's Final Four.
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 33rd season, bigger and better in 2013-14. 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.
2013-14 Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week
Week of Dec. 8: Dustin Hogue, Iowa State (Big 12 Conference)
· Week of Dec. 15: Marcus Paige, North Carolina (Atlantic Coast Conference)
· Week of Dec. 22: Aaric Murray, Texas Southern (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
· Week of Dec. 29: DeAndre Kane, Iowa State (Big 12 Conference)
· Week of Jan. 5: Willis Hall, College of Charleston (Colonial Athletic Association)
· Week of Jan. 12: Doug McDermott, Creighton (Big East Conference)
· Week of Jan. 19: Naadir Tharpe, Kansas (Big 12 Conference)
· Week of Jan. 26: Nik Stauskas, Michigan (Big Ten Conference)
· Week of Feb. 2: Drew Crawford, Northwestern (Big Ten Conference)
· Week of Feb. 9: Melvin Ejim, Iowa State (Big 12 Conference)
· Week of Feb. 16: Doug McDermott, Creighton (Big East Conference)
· Week of Feb. 23: Julius Randle, Kentucky (Southeastern Conference)