WEEK of: DECEMBER 8-15, 2008
Freshman small forward
RASHAWN SMALLS (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) is the NJCU Men's Athlete of the Week for the fourth straight time after he was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for the fourth time in the first five weeks of the 2008-09 season.
Smalls continues to lead NJCU in four major categories: scoring, rebounding, assists and steals.
Smalls, who previously won the award on November 17 and 24, and December 8, has earned the award in all four weeks that NJCU has been active this season.
The leading scorer in the NJAC at 18.5 per game, Smalls helped lead NJCU to an 80-46 rout of Berkeley College at home on December 8 to improve to 3-3 on the year.
Smalls scored a game-high 17 points in only 20 minutes on 8-of-15 shooting (.533), and had 12 in the first half. He added seven rebounds, three assists and three steals and evened his own personal best with five dunks. Smalls helped key NJCU to an impressive 22-2 advantage in fast-break points. He blocked one shot as NJCU broke the single-game team record with 15 rejections.
NJCU opened the flood gates from the initial tip, exploding to an 18-0 lead as Smalls scored six of the first nine points and four of NJCU’s first eight baskets were dunks. A slam by Smalls made it 18-0 at 14:39 before Berkeley scored its first points.
Smalls, who has scored 111 points in six games, remains 0.5 point per game better than any player in the league. Smalls is also tied for first in the conference in steals (2.33, 14). Additionally, he ranks tied for third in rebounding (7.5, 45), fourth in defensive rebounding (4.83, 29), sixth in offensive rebounding (2.67, 16), and 14th in minutes played (27.83, 167).
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
