Hinson Earns USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week Recognition
2/20/2024 3:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – Blake Hinson earned Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week accolades for games of the week ending Sunday, Feb. 18 as announced by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Tuesday afternoon.
Hinson averaged 34.0 points per game, while marking 14 three-point field goals in wins over No. 21 Virginia and Louisville to become the second Pitt player to earn USBWA National Player of the Week honors. Tray Woodall earned the honors Feb. 6, 2012 after averaging 26.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, while going 15-of-24 from the field and 17-of-17 from the foul line in wins over West Virginia and Villanova.
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 chosen from a list of the conferences that named a player of the week on Monday.
Following are the five players selected for performances this past week:
Blake Hinson, Pitt (Atlantic Coast Conference)
Hinson averaged 34.0 points and 4.5 rebounds while going 25-of-43 (58.1%) from the field, including 14-of-26 (53.8%) from 3-point range, as Pitt extended its win streak to five games with victories over No. 21 Virginia and Louisville. The senior forward from Deltona, Fla., scored 41 points against Louisville, tied for third most in program history, and matched his own school record by making nine 3-pointers. Hinson became the first ACC player to score 40 points since Boston College's Ky Bowman had 44 against Hartford on Dec. 31, 2018. It was the first 40-point game in conference play since BC's Jerome Robinson recorded 46 in a loss to Notre Dame on Feb. 6, 2018. Hinson's 41 points matched a Petersen Events Center record as well. He finished the night 14-of-24 from the field, including 9-of-13 from 3-point range. Hinson also scored a game-high 27 points with five made 3-pointers as Pitt posted a 74-63 win over No. 21 Virginia to snap the Cavaliers' NCAA-best 23-game home win streak. He added four rebounds, two assists and one steal while hitting a then-career-high 11-of-19 from the field and 5-of-13 from three-point range.
Nick Caldwell, Southeastern Louisiana (Southland Conference)
Caldwell averaged a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds in a pair of wins which extended Southeastern's best win streak of the season out to six games. The senior forward from Prairieville, La., hit a pair of free throws with 8.1 seconds left in regulation of Monday's game vs. Texas A&M-Commerce to force overtime, where SLU ultimately triumphed, on his way to his first double-double of the season with 22 points and 10 rebounds. He also tied his career high with five blocks against A&M-Commerce. Caldwell followed that up with his second-straight double-double on Saturday against HCU with 23 points and 10 rebounds. He hit the game-winner, a three-pointer with 3.9 seconds left for the 81-78 win, the last make of his 70-percent shooting on the night. He also made both of his three-point attempts and all eight of his free throws.
Jacob Crews, UT Martin (Ohio Valley Conference)
In two wins, Crews averaged 30.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals/game while hitting 50 percent (18-of-36) from the field, 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from 3-point range and 88.2 percent (15-of-17) from the free throw line. The junior guard/forward from Hilliard, Fla., and a transfer from Dayton State College, had 32 points and six rebounds in a victory over Southern Indiana to start the week. He hit 6-of-12 3-pointers and 12-of-13 free throws in the win. Crews closed the week with 29 points and eight rebounds as the Skyhawks knocked off first-place Morehead State to pull within a game of first place. In that win he hit 11-of-22 field goals (4-of-9 3-pointers) and added two steals. Among OVC players Crews ranks second in 3-pointers made/game (2.74), third in field goal percentage (48.7%) and 3-point percentage (41.3%), fourth in scoring (18.3), sixth in rebounding (8.0) and 10th in free throw percentage (78.3).
Jaedon Ledee, San Diego State (Mountain West Conference)
Ledee led San Diego State to a pair of wins over then-No. 25 Colorado State (71-55) and New Mexico (81-70). The senior forward from Houston averaged 25 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in the two wins while shooting 70.8 percent (17-of-24) from the field. Ledee led all scorers with 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting (71.4 percent) against Colorado State with six boards, a steal and a block. Against New Mexico, Ledee poured in another game-high 23 points, a career-high four steals, three rebounds and two assists.
Jestin Porter, Middle Tennessee (Conference USA)
Porter made CUSA and program history by going 8-8 from three-point range, the most three-pointers without a miss in league history, as part of a 41-point performance in a double-overtime win over UTEP. He shot 11-16 from the floor and 11-12 from the free throw line with seven rebounds and three assists. In Thursday's win over New Mexico State, the junior guard from Houston scored 26 points with five rebounds and four assists and did not turn the ball over despite 33 minutes played as the Blue Raiders' primary ball handler.
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.
- Week ending Jan. 14: Keenon Cole, Lindenwood; Frankie Fidler, Omaha; Jordan Johnson, New Orleans; Isaac Jones, Washington State; Dalton Knecht, Tennessee.
- Week ending Jan. 21: Zach Edey, Purdue; Kezza Giffa, High Point; DaRon Holmes II, Dayton; Dalton Knecht, Tennessee; Jamal Shead, Houston.
- Week ending Jan. 28: Tommy Bruner, Denver; Boo Buie, Northwestern; RJ Davis, North Carolina; Jordan Pope, Oregon State; Vonterius Woolbright, Western Carolina.
- Week ending Feb. 4: Johni Broome, Auburn; Hunter Dickinson, Kansas; Quincy Olivari, Xavier; Max Rice, Boise State; Tyler Thomas, Hofstra.
- Week ending Feb. 11: Dylan Disu, Texas; Joe Girard, Clemson; Tyler Kolek, Marquette; Sincere Parker, Saint Louis; Tyrece Radford, Texas A&M.
- Week ending Feb. 18: Nick Caldwell, Southeastern Louisiana; Jacob Crews UT Martin; Blake Hinson, Pitt; Jaedon Ledee, San Diego State; Jestin Porter, Middle Tennessee.
