This week, we honor a senior who has been having a very good season. Having set a new career high in scoring with an incredible shooting display this past Saturday helping his team get two wins, we honor Diego Kapelan ...
Player of the Week
Diego Kapelan (Vancouver) – Senior, McNeese State
This had been some week for Diego Kapelan. He has played in three games and had three progressively better games as the week wore on. In the three contests, Kapelan had averaged 23 points and 3.3 rebounds in 33 minutes a game. He shot 21-of-40 from the field which included 15-of-25 from behind the three point line and 12-of-14 from the line helping his team go 2-1 in their three contests. He was awarded the Player of the Week honors by the Southland Conference and we will likewise honor him as our latest NC-Double-Eh Player of the Week.
In Kapelan’s first game last week on Valentine’s Day against Sam Houston, he helped lead the Cowboys to a 73-63 victory. He had 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the floor including one trey while shooting 4-of-5 from the line. He also included a rebound and a steal in 34 minutes of action.
In McNeese State’s next game three days later against Texas-San Antonio, Kapelan as better in his team’s narrow 65-61 defeat on the road. In 30 minutes of playing time, he totaled 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Kapelan shot the ball very well in this game going 6-of-13 from the field including hitting 5 of his 9 threes.
But for last week’s finale on Saturday against Northwestern State at home, Kapelan led the way for the Cowboys scoring a career high 39 points in the 78-62 win. In his 35 minutes of action, he didn’t seem to miss shooting 11-of-17 overall which included 9-of-13 from the trey while making 8 of his 9 free throws also. That new career high scoring was accompanied by 3 rebounds and 2 assists as well as tying his own mark of 9 made three pointers in a game, which is also the school record for most made in a game.
For the season, Kapelan is averaging 15 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 29 minutes per game. He’s shooting 37.7% from the floor, 88.1% from the line as well as 36.3% from behind the arc. He’s currently the team’s second leading scorer and fourth leading rebounder. Kapelan’s totals also place him among the elite in the Southland Conference in scoring (tied for 9th), free throw percentage (2nd), 3-PT FG% (9th), 3-PT FGs made per game(2nd at 2.7) and total three pointers made (2nd). He’s also 32nd overall in the NCAA in threes made per game as well.
Honorable Mentions:
Kris Joseph, Syracuse – 18.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3 apg, 1 spg, 9-of-18 FGs, 4-of-7 3-PT FGs, 12-of-14 FTs, 38.5 mpg in two games.
Nem Mitrovic, Portland – 20.5 ppg, 6 rpg, 1.5 apg, 12-of-25 FGs, 7-of-15 3-PT FGs, 10-of-10 FTs, 36 mpg in two games.
Rookie of the Week
Cory Joseph (Pickering, ON) – Freshman, Texas
Cory Joseph has been the more unheralded of the two freshmen at Texas this season but he’s been as steady as a rock all year. This past week he helped the Longhorns split two games averaging 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and a block in 31.5 minutes. He shot 9-of-25 from the floor including 6-of-13 from the arc on his way to being named NC-Double-Eh Rookie of the Week.
In the Longhorns’ first game last week Feb. 16th, Joseph helped lead his team in a romp over Oklahoma State in Austin 73-55. He had 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block in 30 minutes. Even though he only shot 4-of-13 from the floor overall he did make 3 of his 7 three attempts.
In Texas’ next game against Nebraska three days later in Lincoln, Joseph was again solid despite his team being upset 70-67. In the game, he logged 13 points, 2 rebounds, an assist and a block in 33 minutes before fouling out. He shot 5-of-12 from the floor which included 3-of-5 from the behind the three line.
For the season, Joseph is averaging 11 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.2 minutes. He’s shooting 44.4% from the floor, 43.9% from the arc and 69.5% from the charity stripe. He’s currently the team’s top assist man and is tied for the lead in steals while also placing fourth in scoring and rebounding. Joseph’s totals also place him among the statistical leaders in the Big 12 Conference in assists (14th) and 3-PT % (4th).
Honorable Mention: Jahenns Manigat, Creighton -8.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1 spg, 5-of-9 FGs, 3-of-5 3-PT FGs,4-of-4 FTs, 32.5 mpg in two games.
Line of the Week
Alex Johnson, Cal-Bakersfield – Feb. 19 vs. Longwood
Alex Johnson is one hell of a shooter, no doubt about that. He is an especially good three point shooter and at one point this season was leading the entire NCAA in three pointers made. Currently, Alex is tied for 15th overall in the NCAAs with three made treys per game along with another Johnson, Canadian Bryson from Bucknell, and .1 behind another Canadian Nem Mitrovic. Bottom line – Alex Johnson is a legit three point threat. Now he’s made 75 already, which is a lot of makes, but to make that many he has to shot at least twice as many which he isn’t shy about. And to prove that, check out his line from Feb. 19 when the Road Runners played Longwood on the road. Johnson took 20 shot attempts in 38 minutes of which 19 were from behind the three line. Yes you’re reading right, 19 three point attempts in that game. That amounts to a trey going up every two minutes of game time for Johnson. To put that total into perspective, his 19 attempts accounts for about 60% of the team’s total three point attempts and 27% of the team’s total FG attempts. To put that into further perspective, Longwood only took 17