INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has named five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Sunday, Jan. 7.
For the 2023-24 season, the USBWA has expanded its national player of the week program that has been affiliated with the Oscar Robertson Trophy since the 2009-10 season. In past seasons, the USBWA has recognized just one player each week.
Each Tuesday during the regular season, designated USBWA board members will select five standouts from the 32 Division I conference players of the week to be recognized. This week's selections were delayed a day by the New Year’s holiday and were chosen from a list of the conferences that did name a player of the week.
Following are the five players selected for performance this past week:
Armando Bacot, North Carolina (Atlantic Coast Conference)
Bacot recorded back-to-back double-doubles (his sixth and seventh of the season) to lead North Carolina to key road wins at Pitt and No. 16 Clemson, averaging 15.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. The 6-11 senior from Richmond, Va., was 11-for-21 from the floor and 8-for-10 from the free throw line. He scored 16 points with 10 rebounds and three blocks in the 70-57 win at Pitt while helping to hold the Panthers to 26.5 percent shooting from the floor in the second half. He then anchored a Tar Heels defense that held Clemson to season lows in field goal shooting and scoring while handing the Tigers their first home loss this season. Bacot also was key in limiting Clemson's PJ Hall to 10 points below his season average.
James Bishop IV, George Washington (Atlantic 10 Conference)
Bishop dominated last week averaging 30.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor, 54.5 percent from beyond the arc and 81.8 percent from the free throw line. In Wednesday's triple overtime game versus Fordham, the 6-2 guard from Baltimore, Md., scored 32 points on an efficient 11-of-21 shooting, including a 4-of-7 showing from deep and a 6-of-8 day at the free throw line. He also added six assists, five rebounds and a career-high three blocks, just the second 30/5/5/3 game in the NCAA this season. Bishop then carried GW to a road win at VCU, including the game-winning shot with 1.7 seconds remaining. He scored 23 of his 28 points after halftime, connecting on 7-of-13 shots, 2-of-4 from three and 12-of-14 free throws. He added five more rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Marcus Domask, Illinois (Big Ten Conference)
Domask averaged 29 points on 59.3 percent shooting (19-of-32) and 5.5 assists as Illinois split a pair of games. The 6-6 graduate guard from Waupun, Wis., shot 11-of-15 from the floor and 9-of-10 from the free throw line for 32 points in a 96-66 victory over Northwestern. He scored a game-high 26 points while playing all 40 minutes in a close 83-78 loss at No. 1 Purdue. Domask connected on 18-of-20 from the free throw line and grabbed eight rebounds on the week.
Jonathan Mogbo, San Francisco (West Coast Conference)
Mogbo lifted San Francisco to a 92-88 overtime win at Pacific to open WCC play last Thursday. The 6-8 junior forward from West Palm Beach, Fla., finished with a career-high 30 points to go along with 18 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. Additionally, he went 10-for-10 at the free throw line, four of which came in overtime. It was his seventh double-double this season in the process.
Great Osobor, Utah State (Mountain West Conference)
Osobor led Utah State to a 2-0 record to open Mountain West play with wins at Air Force (88-60) and against No. 13/14 Colorado State (77-72). The 6-8 junior forward from Bradford, England, averaged 26 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 65.4 percent from the field. He netted a career-high 32 points against the Falcons behind an 11-of-14 effort from the floor while grabbing nine boards with four assists. Against Colorado State, Osobor recorded a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds.
Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation's oldest award and the only one named after a former player.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership. The winner of the award will be announced at the 2024 Men's Final Four in Glendale, Ariz., with the formal presentation to follow at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 800 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.
2023-24 USBWA Men's Weekly Honors
• Week ending Nov. 12: Armando Bacot, North Carolina; Tucker DeVries, Drake; Terrence Edwards, James Madison; Dillon Jones, Weber State; Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor.
• Week ending Nov. 19: Hunter Dickinson, Kansas; Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State; Quinten Post, Boston College; Kyle Rode, Liberty; Marcus Tsohonis, Long Beach State.
• Week ending Nov. 26: Zach Edey, Purdue; Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas; Isaiah Stevens, Colorado State; Tyler Thomas, Hofstra; Jamir Watkins, Florida State.
• Week ending Dec. 3: Boo Buie Northwestern; Boogie Ellis, USC; Baylor Scheierman, Creighton; Shahada Wells, McNeese; Trazarien White, UNCW.
• Week ending Dec. 10: Mika Adams-Woods, St. Bonaventure; Enrique Freeman, Akron; David Jones, Memphis; Arthur Kaluma, Kansas State; Tyler Kolek, Marquette.
• Week ending Dec. 17: Tyler Cochran, Toledo; Kevin Cross, Tulane; Fletcher Loyer, Purdue; Ian Martinez, Utah State; Mitchell Saxen, Saint Mary's.
• Week ending Dec. 24: Oumar Ballo, Arizona; Johnell Davis, Florida Atlantic; RJ Davis, North Carolina; Jarod Lucas, Nevada; Vonterius Woolbright, Western Carolina.
• Week ending Dec. 31: T.J. Bickerstaff, James Madison; Branden Carlson, Utah; Xavier Johnson, Southern Illinois; Noah Reynolds, Green Bay; Reese Waters, San Diego State.
• Week ending Jan. 7: Armando Bacot, North Carolina; James Bishop IV, George Washington; Marcus Domask, Illinois; Jonathan Mogbo, San Francisco; Great Osobor, Utah State.