INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected Charlotte guard Brice Williams its Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Jan. 1.
As the Conference USA Player of the Week, Williams 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. Once again, the USBWA will select a Division I men's National Player of the Week each Tuesday throughout the season. The USBWA has named Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week since the 2009-10 season. Williams is the first Charlotte player to earn the USBWA's weekly national honor.
Williams, a 6-7 guard from Huntersville, N.C., scored a career-high 31 points in back-to-back games to open the conference schedule. For the week, he also averaged five rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 78 percent from the field (18-of-23), 56 percent from 3-point land (5-of-9) and knocking down 21-of-27 free throws.
In Thursday's 82-67 victory over Middle Tennessee, Williams scored 31 points on 9-of-11 shooting, including 21 after halftime and nine during a 16-2 run to pull away from the Blue Raiders.
He then backed up that performance with 31 more points to push the Niners past Louisiana Tech on Saturday afternoon. Williams finished matinee scoring his 31 points on 9-of-12 shooting, while ripping down six rebounds.
The performances in league play marked the first time a 49er has scored 30-plus points in back-to-back games since Leemire Goldwire did so against St. Bonaventure on Feb. 9, 2008 and Xavier on Feb. 13, 2008 in the midst of the 2007-08 season.
Williams leads Charlotte in scoring through 14 games as the team's sixth man. He 62 points for the week came in only 55 minutes on the floor.
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 award will announced at the 2023 Men's Final Four in Houston with the formal presentation to follow at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
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 Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.