After a slow start for Kyle Johnson at Long Island University this season, the Ajax, ON native may hit a turning point this season in the past week where he averaged a double-double on his way to being named The Can Ball Report's NC-Double-Eh Player of the Week.
Player of the Week
Kyle Johnson (Ajax, ON) – Jr., Long Island University
Kyle Johnson has been able to fill the bucket up since his break out freshman season with the Blackbirds in 2007 and this season he is doing the same. After starting the season a little sluggish he had seemed to find his stride this past week after averaging a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 57% from the three point line and picking up 2.5 steals a game as well. With those great numbers, Johnson is this week’s Can Ball Report Player of the Week.
In the Blackbirds’ 80-64 loss to Iona on Dec 9, Johnson recorded his double-double of the season posting 15 points and 11 rebounds. He also added four steals and shot 3 of 7 from the three line, 6 of 14 overall from the floor in 29 minutes.
In following game against Lafayette (Toronto’s Jared Mintz) on Dec 12, Johnson put up 15 points and grabbed nine boards in the LIU close loss, 73-77. He also had a steal and shot 5 of 12 from the floor and went for a season high five treys in his productive 29 minutes.
For the season, Johnson is averaging a team high 6.7 rebounds per game to go along with his 10.4 points, which is good for second on the team, as well as an assist and a steal.
Honorable mention: Andrew Nicholson, St Bonaventure – 18 pts, 5.5 rbs, 14-22 FG, 8-8 FT, 25 mpg.
Line of the Week
Rob Sacre (Vancouver) – Soph., Gonzaga
For this week’s winner we present Rob Sacre. In the Zags tighter-than-should-have-been win over Davidson Dec 12, Sacre had a great game. He put up 23 points in a very efficient 25 minutes going a perfect 6 of 6 from the floor. From the line, Sacre was less than stellar but he managed to go to the line 18 times making 11of his attempts. If he had made the seven he missed he would have cracked the 30 point plateau for the first time in his college career. Great game indeed but the oddest thing about his stat line is that the imposing, 260 lbs paint monster only had one rebound to compliment his point total! Gonzaga is in trouble if Sacre continues with these numbers any further.
Honorable mention: Murphy Burnatowski, Maine – 13 pts, 6 rbs, 9 asts, 4 stls, 5 of 6 FG, 3 of 3 FT, 23 mins.