ST. LOUIS (USBWA) The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected Arizona State guard Shannon Evans II as its Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Dec. 10. The USBWA's weekly honor is presented by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.
As the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week, Evans 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. This is the ninth season that the USBWA has selected a national player of the week.
The 6-1 senior guard from Suffolk, Va., opened his week with 18 points, six rebounds and six assists as the Sun Devils defeated St. John's, 82-70, in Los Angeles on Friday night. Less than 48 hours later, Evans hit five 3-pointers en route to 22 points along with five assists and no turnovers as ASU knocked off then-No. 2 Kansas in Lawrence. The upset was the best non-conference victory over a ranked opponent in program history.
For the week, Evans averaged 20.0 points on 52 percent shooting (13-25) from the field, including 53 percent behind the arc (8-15), and 5.5 assists with an 11-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio as the Sun Devils matched the best unbeaten start in program history at 9-0 and climbed to No. 5 in the latest Associated Press Top 25, the highest ranking for the program since 1981. The Sun Devils are 9-0 for just the second time in program history (1974-75) and one of just seven remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division I.
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 37th 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.
2017-18 Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week
Week ending Dec. 3: Devonté Graham, Kansas (Big 12 Conference)
· Week ending Dec. 10: Shannon Evans II, Arizona State (Pac-12 Conference)
· Week ending Dec. 17: Trae Young, Oklahoma (Big 12 Conference)
· Week ending Dec. 24: Trae Young, Oklahoma (Big 12 Conference)
· Week ending Dec. 31: Kelan Martin, Butler (Big East Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 7: Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State (Big Ten Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 14: Chandler Hutchison, Boise State (Mountain West Conference) and Luwane Pipkins, Massachusetts (Atlantic 10 Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 21: Jock Landale, St. Mary's (West Coast Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 28: Kevin Knox, Kentucky (Southeastern Conference)
· Week ending Feb. 4: Noah Dickerson, Washington (Pac-12 Conference)
· Week ending Feb. 11: Shamorie Ponds, St. John's (Big East Conference)
· Week ending Feb. 18: Matt Mobley, St. Bonaventure (Atlantic 10 Conference)
· Week ending Feb. 25: Carsen Edwards, Purdue (Big Ten Conference)