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 Freshman Nick Aldridge averaged 32 points per game over the weekend to earn his first career player of the week honor. |
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Feb. 6, 2007
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina freshman Nick Aldridge was today named the Southern Conference Player of the Week by the league office after combining to score 64 points in two conference games. The South Webster, Ohio, native continues to make a strong case for post-season accolades from the league, including an all-conference selection and SoCon Freshman of the Year honors.
Aldridge is the first Catamount to receive the weekly award this season and is just the second rookie to garner the weekly honor from the SoCon with Davidson's Stephen Curry earning the honor back in week one.
Aldridge opened the weekend with 25 points on 9-of-14 (64.3%) shooting from the floor in Western's 10-point come-from-behind victory over The Citadel, snapping a five-game road losing skid against the Cadets at McAlister Fieldhouse. He added a team-high eight rebounds and a career-best pair of blocked shots as WCU secured the seasonal sweep of the Bulldogs.
Monday night, Aldridge single-handedly kept Western in the basketball game, tallying a career-high 39 points in a 76-64 loss at the College of Charleston, which is currently second in the SoCon South Division and third overall. He connected on a career-best tying 14 shots from the floor and shot a season-best 10-of-12 (83.3%) from the free throw line, adding seven rebounds to lead the team.
The 39-point salvo is the most points scored by a Southern Conference player this season and is the second-time in his rookie season that Aldridge has eclipsed the 30-point barrier (31 at Appalachian State). It was also the most scored by a Catamount since Kevin Martin, now with the Sacramento Kings, dropped 42 at home against Elon on Jan. 10, 2004. Martin also scored 44 at Georgia that same season (11/21/03). Aldridge has scored in double-figures in 12-consecutive games and in all but three of his 22 career games to date (86.4%).
All told on the week, Aldridge was on the court an impressive 79 of a possible 80 minutes, shooting 54.8-percent (23-of-42) from the floor and 70.8-percent (17-of-24) from the free throw line. His 32 points per game average was accompanied by 7.5 rebounds and one blocked shot per game, and he committed just two turnovers.
On the season, Aldridge increased his point production to 17.5 points per game to move into third in the league in scoring just behind league-leader Kyle Hines (21.9 ppg) of UNC Greensboro and Curry from Davidson (19.9 ppg). Joined by Hines (1st, 9.4 rpg) and Elon's LeVonn Jordan (7th, 6.8 rpg), Aldridge is just one of three players - and the only freshman - to rank on both the scoring and rebounding leader board in seventh at 6.6 boards per game.
In addition to his prowess in scoring and rebounding, Aldridge also ranks eighth in defensive rebounds (4.32 rpg), 10th in steals (1.45 spg), 11th in offensive rebounds (2.27 rpg), and 15th in minutes played (31.64). Aldridge had averaged 20 points per game in conference match-ups to rank third, and he ranks ninth with 6.7 rebounds per game against SoCon foes.
Aldridge and the Catamounts return to the Ramsey Center hardwood this Saturday, Feb. 10, as a part of a WCU hoops double-header. The Lady Catamounts host Chattanooga at 1:30 pm while the men entertain Georgia Southern at 4:00 pm. Both games will be televised, with the women's game shown on tape delay on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS) on Sunday evening at 6:30 pm and the men's game broadcast live, also on CSS.
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