The Associated Press has announced its Week 16 National Players of the Week for men’s and women’s college basketball, highlighting standout performances across the country.
Men’s Basketball
Darius Acuff Jr., No. 20 Arkansas
Freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. delivered one of the most remarkable performances of the season in Arkansas’ 117–115 double-overtime loss to then-No. 25 Alabama.
The 6-foot-3 NBA prospect exploded for 49 points, setting an Arkansas freshman single-game scoring record and posting the second-highest total in program history.
Acuff shot 16-of-27 from the field, including 6-of-10 from three-point range, and 11-of-12 from the free-throw line. He also added five rebounds, five assists, and just one turnover while playing all 50 minutes.
His 49-point effort ranks as the second-highest scoring performance in Division I this season. It also broke Todd Day’s 1992 SEC single-game scoring record and stands as the highest scoring performance ever by a player coached by John Calipari.
Acuff followed up with 20 points, four rebounds, and five assists in a win over Missouri.
Runner-Up: AJ Dybantsa, No. 19 BYU
The 6-foot-9 freshman swept Big 12 Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week honors after two standout performances.
He scored 35 points with seven rebounds in a loss at then-No. 4 Arizona. He then posted a near triple-double — 29 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists — along with a block and a steal in a home victory over then-No. 6 Iowa State.
Dybantsa, the nation’s leading scorer at 24.9 points per game, shot 51.1% from the field across the two games.
Honorable Mentions:
Cameron Boozer (No. 1 Duke), Donovan Dent (UCLA)
Player to Watch: Moustapha Thiam, Cincinnati
The 7-foot-2 sophomore center had a breakout performance in Cincinnati’s surprising 16-point road win over then-No. 8 Kansas. Thiam scored a career-high 28 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out two assists while committing no turnovers in 30 minutes.
He shot 11-of-17 from the field, including two three-pointers. The win marked Cincinnati’s first road victory over a top-10 opponent since 1990.
Thiam is averaging 19.3 points and 8.3 rebounds on 59% shooting over his last three games.
Women’s Basketball
Ava Heiden, No. 9 Iowa
Sophomore center Ava Heiden led Iowa to victories over Nebraska, Purdue, and then-No. 6 Michigan, recording a double-double in all three games.
She posted 24 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks against Michigan and averaged 24 points and 11.3 rebounds for the week while shooting 75% from the field.
Runner-Up: Madina Okot, No. 3 South Carolina
The senior center averaged 16.5 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks in two Top-25 wins over Alabama and Ole Miss.
Okot was perfect from three-point range, making all five of her attempts. Against Alabama, she recorded a double-double by halftime with 13 points and 10 rebounds in just 16 minutes.
Honorable Mentions:
Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Olivia Miles (No. 11 TCU), Sarah Strong (No. 1 UConn)
Player to Watch: Hailey Adams, Rice
Redshirt junior guard Hailey Adams averaged 12 points, 16 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks while shooting 60% from the field in wins over East Carolina and South Florida.
Rice has now won 19 consecutive games and is one victory away from securing the top seed in the American Conference.
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