INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has named five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Sunday, Feb. 9.
For the 2024-25 season, the USBWA continues its national player of the week program that has been affiliated with the Oscar Robertson Trophy since the 2009-10 season. Prior to last season, the USBWA had recognized just one player each week.
Each Tuesday during the regular season, designated USBWA board members will select five standouts from the 31 Division I conference players of the week to be recognized. This week's selections were chosen from a list of the conferences that named a player of the week on Monday.
Following are the five players selected for performances this past week:
Jamar Brown, Kansas City (The Summit League)
The senior guard registered his fifth double-double of the season with 26 points and 12 rebounds in 78-72 loss to NDSU and then equaled a career-high with 29 points in 80-69 home win over North Dakota that snapped an eight-game losing streak. He combined to go 10-for-15 from beyond the arc on the week, including career-high six makes vs. UND.
Nelly Junior Joseph, New Mexico (Mountain West Conference)
The Nigerian senior forward led the Lobos to a 2-0 record last week with wins over Colorado State (87-65) and at Air Force (88-53), in which he averaged a double-double with 16 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the field. Against the Rams, he tallied 18 points, 11 boards and five blocks and connected on 10-of-13 attempts from the charity stripe. He followed that up with 14 points and a career-high 21 rebounds, while making 6-of-10 shots from the field against the Falcons.
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue (Big Ten Conference)
The junior forward posted 24.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, as Purdue went 2-0 last week. Kaufman-Renn shot 18-of-30 (.600) from the field and 11-of-12 (.917) from the free throw line, while securing 11 offensive rebounds. He ccored 25 points with seven rebounds and a steal in a 90-81 win at Iowa and paired 25 points, 10 boards, and a pair of blocked shots in a 90-72 victory over USC.
RJ Luis, St. John’s (Big East Conference)
The junior keyed two St. John’s wins against ranked opponents. He began the week with 17 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots in a 70-64 win over No. 11 Marquette. Then, in a 68-62 victory at No. 19 UConn, Luis made the game-sealing basket in the final seconds and finished with a game-high 21 points and seven rebounds.
CJ Walker, East Carolina (American Athletic Conference)
Walker led the Pirates by averaging 25.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in two games last week. He recorded 28 points and 10 rebounds while also scoring the game-winning bucket with four seconds left at UTSA on last Saturday. Earlier in the weekm he dropped 23 points and six rebounds against Rice on Wednesday.
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 be announced at the 2025 Men's Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, 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 800 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.
2024-25 USBWA Men's Weekly Honors
• Week ending Nov. 10: JaKobe Coles, Grand Canyon; Tyson Dunn, Buffalo; TY Johnson, UC Davis; Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton; Justice Shoats, Siena.
• Week ending Nov. 17: Abdi Bashir, Monmouth; Jaron Pierre, Jax State; Maxine Raynaud, Stanford; John Tonje, Wisconsin; Sonny Wilson, Toledo.
• Week ending Nov. 24: Mason Falslev, Utah State; Cooper Flagg, Duke; Chaz Lanier, Tennessee; Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, Columbia; John Tonje, Wisconsin.
• Week ending Dec. 1: Johni Broome, Auburn; Chucky Hepburn, Louisville; Tyrese Hunter, Memphis; Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue; Javon Small, West Virginia.
• Week ending Dec. 8: Devin Haid, Central Connecticut; Tyler “Chip” Johnson, Mercer; Ian Schieffelin, Clemson; Sean Smith, Western Illinois; Sebastian Thomas, Rhode Island.
• Week ending Dec. 15: Lamont Butler, Kentucky; Tarence Guinyard, UT Martin; Jamichael Stillwell, Milwaukee; Taryn Todd, Arkansas State; Brice Williams, Nebraska.
• Week ending Dec. 22: Donovan Dent, New Mexico; Treysen Eaglestaff, North Dakota; Caden Pierce, Princeton; Erik Reynolds II, Saint Joseph's; Bruce Thornton, Ohio State.
• Week ending Dec. 29: Eric Dailey Jr., UCLA; Mason Falslev, Utah State; Connor Kochera, Davidson; Ahmad Robinson, Mercer; Brice Williams, Nebraska.
• Week ending Jan. 5: Leo Colimero, Queens; Melvin Council Jr., St. Bonaventure; Cooper Flagg, Duke; Chaz Lanier, Tennessee; Malik Thomas, San Francisco.
• Week ending Jan. 12: AJ Clayton, Ohio; Cooper Flagg, Duke; Yaxel Lendeborg, UAB; Issac McBride, Oral Roberts; Lamar Washington, Pacific.
• Week ending Jan. 19: Tyeree Bryan, Santa Clara; Rahsool Diggins, Massachusetts; Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest; Javon Small, West Virginia; Earl Timberlake, Bryant.
• Week ending Jan. 26: Mekhi Conner, Sacred Heart; Dawson Garcia, Minnesota; Max MacKinnon, Portland; Bo Montgomery, UNCW; Milos Uzan, Houston
• Week ending Feb. 2: Rahsool Diggins, Massachusetts; Madison Durr, Monmouth; Jamal Mashburn Jr., Temple; Darryl Simmons, Gardner-Webb; Brice Williams, Nebraska.
• Week ending Feb. 9: Jamar Brown, Kansas City; Nelly Junior Joseph, New Mexico; Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue; RJ Luis, St. John’s; CJ Walker, East Carolina.