SFA’s Walkup Named Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – Stephen F. Austin senior guard/forward Thomas Walkup has been named the Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week presented by UniversalCoin.com, the league office announced Sunday.
Walkup closed out the final week of the regular season by averaging 20 points, 10 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 3.3 steals in three SFA wins to help the Lumberjacks finish conference play with an unblemished 18-0 record for the second time in three seasons. In SFA’s 84-58 win at UIW, the senior from Pasadena, Texas (Deer Park H.S.), record the first triple-double in the Southland since 2011 when he went for 12 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists while adding five steals. In 26 minutes of action in the 95-55 win at Northwestern State, Walkup had 10 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals. In the 85-64 regular-season finale win at Sam Houston State, Walkup tallied a career-high 38 points to go along with eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. Walkup and the Lumberjacks head into the Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament as the No. 1 seed for the fourth straight year and will take to the court Friday at 5 p.m. after receiving a double bye.
Honorable mention this week goes to UIW senior forward Kyle Hittle, New Orleans junior guard Christavious Gill, Southeastern Louisiana junior forward Jordan Capps, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi senior forward Bryce Douvier and McNeese State freshman guard James Harvey.
Each school’s sports information director nominates and votes for the players of the week, though is not permitted to vote for his own player. To receive honorable mention, a player must receive votes from 25 percent of the Southland sports information directors.