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Okongwu Earns Pac-12 Freshman And Player Of The Week Honors
November 25, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Features
Freshman forward Onyeka Okongwu averaged 25.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in USC's two games to earn Pac-12 Freshman of the Week and the Player of the Week honors for the week of Nov. 18-24, it was announced by the Pac-12 today (Nov. 25). With the Freshman of the Week being a new honor this season, Okongwu becomes the first player to earn both awards in the same week.
In the 91-84 win over Pepperdine on Nov. 19, Okongwu scored a career-high 33 points, while grabbing five rebounds and making two blocks. The 33 points scored were the most by a USC freshman in a game since O.J. Mayo scored 37 on March 1, 2008 at Arizona State (player participation later vacated due to NCAA penalty, previous USC freshman with more points was Harold Miner with 34 on February 15, 1990 vs. Stanford).
The 6-9 forward also made 17 of 21 free throws (81.0 percent) in the game against Pepperdine to set the record for most free throws made in a game by an individual at the Galen Center and it was also the third-most free throws ever made in any game by a Trojan. The last Trojan to make more free throws in a game was John Block on Feb. 11, 1966 vs. Washington when he set the school record with 21. The 17 free throws made are currently tied for the most by an NCAA Division I player this season and were the most by a Conference player since Stanford's Reid Travis (19) in Dec. 2016.
Okongwu followed that game up with 17 points, six rebounds and five blocks in the 70-61 loss to undefeated Temple on Nov. 22. Â
Through his first six career games, Okongwu is averaging 18.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game, while shooting 60.6 percent from the field and 80.0 percent from the free throw line. Among all freshmen nationally, he ranks second in free throws made (35), third in blocks per game, fourth in field goal percentage, fifth in rebounds per game, sixth in offensive rebounds per game (3.5) and seventh in scoring average.
Okongwu becomes USC's second Pac-12 Player of the Week this season as Nick Rakocevic earned the honor for the week of Nov. 11-17.
In the 91-84 win over Pepperdine on Nov. 19, Okongwu scored a career-high 33 points, while grabbing five rebounds and making two blocks. The 33 points scored were the most by a USC freshman in a game since O.J. Mayo scored 37 on March 1, 2008 at Arizona State (player participation later vacated due to NCAA penalty, previous USC freshman with more points was Harold Miner with 34 on February 15, 1990 vs. Stanford).
The 6-9 forward also made 17 of 21 free throws (81.0 percent) in the game against Pepperdine to set the record for most free throws made in a game by an individual at the Galen Center and it was also the third-most free throws ever made in any game by a Trojan. The last Trojan to make more free throws in a game was John Block on Feb. 11, 1966 vs. Washington when he set the school record with 21. The 17 free throws made are currently tied for the most by an NCAA Division I player this season and were the most by a Conference player since Stanford's Reid Travis (19) in Dec. 2016.
Okongwu followed that game up with 17 points, six rebounds and five blocks in the 70-61 loss to undefeated Temple on Nov. 22. Â
Through his first six career games, Okongwu is averaging 18.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game, while shooting 60.6 percent from the field and 80.0 percent from the free throw line. Among all freshmen nationally, he ranks second in free throws made (35), third in blocks per game, fourth in field goal percentage, fifth in rebounds per game, sixth in offensive rebounds per game (3.5) and seventh in scoring average.
USC 40, Temple 34 with 15:59 to go
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) November 23, 2019
With another big dunk, @BigO21_ gets into double figures for the 5th time in 6 games!
📺: @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/Kgwvkm1Pve
Okongwu becomes USC's second Pac-12 Player of the Week this season as Nick Rakocevic earned the honor for the week of Nov. 11-17.
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