WEEK of: NOVEMBER 17-23, 2008
Freshman small forward
RASHAWN SMALLS (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) is the NJCU Men's Athlete of the Week for the second consecutive week to begin his career as he continued to impress in his first weeks of collegiate basketball. After averaging 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game in two games for the Gothic Knights,
Smalls was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive week to begin the 2008-09 season.
Smalls, who was selected to the All-Tournament Team as NJCU (1-2) competed at the Rinso Marquette Tournament at Lebanon Valley College, scored 32 points and added 12 rebounds while shooting .483 from the field (14-29) in two games.
In an 80-67 loss to eventual tournament champion Hood College, Smalls led the club with 17 points on 8-of-15 (.533) shooting in 25 minutes. He scored 13 of his points in 16 minutes in the second half as NJCU attempted to rally. He chipped in two rebounds and two steals in the game.
In an 80-65 setback against Penn State Altoona in the third-place game, Smalls notched his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and shot 6-of-14 (.429) from the floor.
Smalls is the No. 2 scorer so far in the NJAC with an 18.3 per game average, tallying 55 points in three games. He ranks third in the league in steals per game (2.33, 7), tied for fourth in offensive rebounds (3.00, 9), sixth in rebounding (6.7, 20), 11th in minutes played (29.33, 88), and 14th in defensive rebounding (3.67, 11).
