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Western Carolina’s Woolbright named SoCon Player of the Week
Senior breaks a conference record with his ninth weekly selection
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina guard Vonterius Woolbright has been named the Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for all contests from Feb. 26 to March 3 after logging two triple-doubles last week. The award is selected by the league office.
Woolbright’s ninth weekly honor of the season this week broke SoCon Hall of Famer Steph Curry’s record for the most player of the week selections in conference history. Curry won SoCon player of the week eight times in the 2008-09 season. Woolbright also extended his school record for conference player of the week selections in one season and his nine recognitions are the most conference player of the week selections for any Catamount in their career.
Western Carolina went 2-0 last week, defeating Furman, 85-77, on Feb. 28, before topping Chattanooga, 82-63, on March 2, giving the team just its seventh victory at McKenzie Arena in series history. The two victories gave the Catamounts their first 20-win season in 14 years.
Against Furman, Woolbright had 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting. The Albany, Georgia, product also pulled down 10 rebounds and 11 assists in the contest.
In the game at Chattanooga, the redshirt senior recorded 15 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists and a steal. Woolbright leads the NCAA in triple-doubles, accounting for five of the 35 posted this season. His fifth triple-double of the season also gave him six for his Catamount career, extending his school record in the category.
For the week, Woolbright averaged 15.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game on 47.6 percent shooting. Woolbright leads the conference in scoring (21.4 ppg) and rebounding (12.1 rpg), placing him 11th and second, respectively, in the NCAA in the two categories.
Western Carolina (22-9, 11-7 SoCon) enters the 2024 Ingles Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Championship as the No. 4 seed and will take on fifth seed, Furman, at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, inside Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina.
Other nominees: Quimari Peterson (ETSU), David Thomas (Mercer), Keyshaun Langley (UNCG), Achor Achor (Samford) and Jan Zidek (Chattanooga)
2023-24 SoCon Men’s Basketball Players of the Week
Nov. 13 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Nov. 20 Keyshaun Langley, Gr., G, UNCG
Nov. 27 Mikeal Brown-Jones, Sr., F, UNCG
Dec. 4 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Dec. 11 Alex Williams, Jr., F, Furman
Dec. 18 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Dec. 25 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Jan. 1 Jaden Seymour, Jr., F, ETSU
Jan. 8 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Jan. 15 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Jan. 22 Mikeal Brown-Jones, Sr., F, UNCG
Jan. 29 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Feb. 5 Keyshaun Langley, Gr., G, UNCG
Feb. 12 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Feb. 19 Honor Huff, So., G, Chattanooga
Feb. 26 JP Pegues, Jr., G, Furman
March 4 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Woolbright’s ninth weekly honor of the season this week broke SoCon Hall of Famer Steph Curry’s record for the most player of the week selections in conference history. Curry won SoCon player of the week eight times in the 2008-09 season. Woolbright also extended his school record for conference player of the week selections in one season and his nine recognitions are the most conference player of the week selections for any Catamount in their career.
Western Carolina went 2-0 last week, defeating Furman, 85-77, on Feb. 28, before topping Chattanooga, 82-63, on March 2, giving the team just its seventh victory at McKenzie Arena in series history. The two victories gave the Catamounts their first 20-win season in 14 years.
Against Furman, Woolbright had 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting. The Albany, Georgia, product also pulled down 10 rebounds and 11 assists in the contest.
In the game at Chattanooga, the redshirt senior recorded 15 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists and a steal. Woolbright leads the NCAA in triple-doubles, accounting for five of the 35 posted this season. His fifth triple-double of the season also gave him six for his Catamount career, extending his school record in the category.
For the week, Woolbright averaged 15.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game on 47.6 percent shooting. Woolbright leads the conference in scoring (21.4 ppg) and rebounding (12.1 rpg), placing him 11th and second, respectively, in the NCAA in the two categories.
Western Carolina (22-9, 11-7 SoCon) enters the 2024 Ingles Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Championship as the No. 4 seed and will take on fifth seed, Furman, at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, inside Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina.
Other nominees: Quimari Peterson (ETSU), David Thomas (Mercer), Keyshaun Langley (UNCG), Achor Achor (Samford) and Jan Zidek (Chattanooga)
2023-24 SoCon Men’s Basketball Players of the Week
Nov. 13 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Nov. 20 Keyshaun Langley, Gr., G, UNCG
Nov. 27 Mikeal Brown-Jones, Sr., F, UNCG
Dec. 4 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Dec. 11 Alex Williams, Jr., F, Furman
Dec. 18 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Dec. 25 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Jan. 1 Jaden Seymour, Jr., F, ETSU
Jan. 8 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Jan. 15 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Jan. 22 Mikeal Brown-Jones, Sr., F, UNCG
Jan. 29 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Feb. 5 Keyshaun Langley, Gr., G, UNCG
Feb. 12 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Feb. 19 Honor Huff, So., G, Chattanooga
Feb. 26 JP Pegues, Jr., G, Furman
March 4 Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina