Mintz making a claim as the best Canadian post player in the NCAA. (Joe Gill - Express Times)

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After another great week where he helped his team split a pair of games in an always tough Patroit League, Toronto big man Jared Mintz has earned his fourth nod as NC-Double-Eh Player of the Week.

NC-Double-Eh Player of the Week

Jared Mintz (Toronto) – Jr., Lafayette

Toronto’s Jared Mintz has been a steady inside presence for the Lafayette Leopards this season and he has upped his play from last year in the process.  As the focus of many opposing defenses this season, Mintz has been making a case for himself as one of the better post player in the Patriot League this year and he may yet make an all conference team.  Last week, Mintz averaged 21 points, nine rebounds, 2.5 assists and a steal in 31.5 minutes over two games.  He shot a very good 13-of-24 from the floor and an even better 16-of-16 from the free throw line to earn this week NC-Double-Eh Player of the Week.

In the Leopards narrow 74-73 home loss to Colgate, Mintz was brilliant in defeat putting up 19 points and two assists to go with a game high nine rebounds.  For the game he shot 6-of-12 from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 from the line in 32 minutes of action.

In the 83-77 Lafayette win three days later over Navy, Mintz tallied team high in both points (21) and steals (2) while also grabbing a game high nine rebounds and chipping in three assists in 31 minutes of game time.  He also shot 7-of-12 from the floor, 1-of-2 from the three, as well as a perfect 9-of-9 from the stripe. 

For the season, Mintz is averaging 15.9 points and 5.9 rebounds, both of which are team highs, as well as 1.9 assists in 27.5 minutes of action.  He is currently ranked 11^th in the NCAA in FG% with 57.8 and is 21^st in FT% with 88.5.  Mintz is the only player in the NCAA that is ranked in the Top 25 in both the aforementioned categories.

Honorable Mention:  Harouna Mutombo, Western Carolina:  14.5 pts, 7.5 rbs, 2.5 asts, 1 stl, 13-of-24 FG, 1-of-2 3PT FG, 33.5 mins, in two games.

Line of the Week

Dwayne Smith (Toronto) – Fresh., George Washington

Basketball, like most team sports, is a numbers game plain and simple.  A player’s value to the team is measured through stats and what has now become the so-called epitome of all measurements, the efficiency rating.  Now I could never figure out the formula for a players efficiency, nor do I care to, but if you are looking for efficient, then Toronto’s Dwayne Smith just that on Feb. 13.  In the George Washington blowout win over Fordham on that date, Smith played had a great game posting 15 points in 15 minutes of game time.  A point a minute definitely makes you efficient.  Throw in three rebounds and four steals and you are really efficient.  For the game, he shot 5-of-7 from the floor making 1-of-2 of hi s threes and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line.  Now I don’t know what Smith’s rating would have been but I’m willing to bet that it was pretty damn high based on this game.  

Honorable Mention:  Bryson Johnson, Bucknell:  14 pts, 12-of-13 FT, 1-of-5 FG, 2 rbs, an ast and stl, 31 mins on Feb 11 vs. American.