UCLA senior center Alfred Aboya was named the Pac-10 player of the week. Here is the release:
UCLA’S ALFRED ABOYA NAMED U.S. BANK PAC-10
MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — UCLA senior Alfred Aboya has been named the U.S. Bank Pac-10 Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for Feb. 2 – Feb. 8, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced today.
Aboya led UCLA to victories over crosstown rival USC, 76-60, on Feb. 4 and Notre Dame, 89-63, on Feb. 7, outscoring opponents by 42 points combined. The Yaounde, Cameroon, native averaged 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in 25.5 minutes of play, well over his season averages of 9.7 points and 5.7 boards. Aboya has now scored in double figures in a career-best four straight games.
Against the Trojans, Aboya totaled 14 points and 12 rebounds to give him just the second double-double of his career. The 12 rebounds tied his career high, set earlier in the season against Arizona.
Against the Fighting Irish, the senior scored 19 points and grabbed seven boards while shooting 9-12 from the field (.750). The 19 points was the second-highest scoring output of his career. Maybe more impressive than Aboya’s offense was his defensive effort against the reigning Big East Player of the Year, Luke Harangody. Aboya and the Bruins held the Notre Dame star to just five points and one rebound, far below his season averages, and snapped several of Harangody’s major streaks, including a streak of 50 games in double-figure scoring, 14 games of 20 or more points and 11 consecutive double-double performances.
This is the first weekly honor for Aboya and the 50 all-time for UCLA.
Also nominated: Chase Budinger, ARIZ; Jerome Randle, CAL; Tajuan Porter, ORE; Quincy Pondexter, WASH; Klay Thompson, WSU
2008-09 U.S. Bank Pac-10 Players of the Week: Nov. 17 – Darren Collison, Sr., G, UCLA; Nov. 24 – James Harden, So., G, ASU; Dec. 1 – James Harden, So., G, ASU; Dec. 8 – Dwight Lewis, Jr., G, USC; Dec. 15 – Jordan Hill, Jr., F, ARIZ; Dec. 22 – Jerome Randle, Jr., G, CAL; Dec. 29 – Jamelle Horne, So., F, ARIZ; Jan. 5 – Patrick Christopher, Jr., F, CAL; Jan. 12 – Patrick Christopher, Jr., F, CAL; Jan. 19 – Lawrence Hill, Sr., F, STAN; Jan. 26 – Roeland Schaftenaar, Jr., F/C, OSU; Feb. 2 – Chase Budinger, Jr., F, ARIZ; Feb. 9 – Alfred Aboya, Sr., C/F, UCLA