Mid Major Blog

Player of the Week:

Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure, Senior, PF, 6-9 250 lbs.

After not playing up to his potential through half of the season, Nicholson has shown why he’s considered a first round NBA Draft prospect as of late. This past week, Nicholson “went off” against Charlotte (13-15) by scoring 25 points (11-17 FG) and collecting 11 rebounds. He followed up that performance with an even more stellar performance against Saint Joseph’s (19-12) by scoring 32 points (12-20 FG) and collecting 14 rebounds. Just previous to those two games, Nicholson scored 30 and 32 points against Fordham (10-18) and Rhode Island (7-23), respectively. Nicholson has an array of post moves and knows how to make his presence felt on the low block. He uses good box-out techniques to brush up against his opponent and move him around. St. Bonaventure (17-10) is now vying for the #3 seed in the upcoming Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament. For the season, Nicholson’s stat line is solid: 17.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.7 BPG, 58.3 FG%, 37.8 3P%, and 76.7 FT%.

Who’s Hot?

Isaiah Canaan, Murray State, Senior, PG, 6-0 193 lbs.

Heading into Conference Tournament time, it’s important to know who has the “hot hand.” Canaan, Murray State’s (28-1) leading scorer, has been “on fire” the past three games for the Racers as he’s shot 57.9 FG% and 56.5 3P% and scored 18 or more points in each of those games (all victories). Canaan has not limited his game to scoring only; instead, he distributes the ball to his teammates with effectiveness. He’s had at least four assists in each of Murray State’s last five games. On top of that, Canaan is also a great defender. He knows where his opponent wants to go with the ball and he restricts access to that spot. He plays the passing lanes well and he plays with lots of passion. For the season, Canaan is averaging 19.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 48.7 FG%, 48.4 3P%, and 83.9 FT%. Look for the nation to become aware of him come NCAA Tournament time.

Tourney Watch

Mid-Major Player of the Year: Doug McDermott, Creighton, Sophomore, SF

Mid-Major Freshman of the Year: Tony Mitchell, North Texas, Freshman, SF

All-Mid-Major Teams