2017-18 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Weekly News and Notes:
Week 10 Release (PDF) | Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats | Championship Information
#FUNBELT FACTS
• One Week 10 matchup is slated for live coverage on ESPN3 -- Georgia State at Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 13.
• Entering this week’s games at 4-0, Louisiana looks to extend its best Sun Belt Conference start in four seasons. The Ragin’ Cajuns have won their last 10 conference games, dating back to last season.
• Louisiana tops all Sun Belt teams in the most recent RPI rankings, ranked 63rd by ESPN BPI, 84th by the NCAA, RPIRatings.com and CBSSports.com RPI, 98th by Jeff Sagarin Ratings and 105th by ESPN RPI.
• Among the conferences, the Sun Belt is ranked 17th by Sagarin Ratings and 23rd by
RPIRatings.com, through results of Jan. 9.
• Georgia State sophomore guard D’Marcus Simonds, who ranks 20th in nation at 21.8 points per game, enters the week having scored in double figures in 34 straight games. His scoring average would set the school’s single-season record if the season ended today.
• Troy junior guard Wesley Person was selected as one of 30 men’s candidates for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes athletes who have displayed excellence in the community, classroom, character and competition.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
D'Marcus Simonds, Georgia State (So., Guard)
Georgia State sophomore guard D'Marcus Simonds led the Panthers to two wins, averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor, 6-of-12 from three-point range and 16-of-22 from the free throw line.
Simonds opened the week scoring 19 points, going 11-of-15 from the free throw line, with five rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals in a 73-64 win over Little Rock. The reigning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year then went for 33 points, just two shy of a career high, going 12-of-20 from the floor, 4-of-7 from three-point range and 5-of-7 from the charity stripe. It marked the third time this year scoring 30 or more points. He added nine rebounds, just missing his third double-double of the year. He also dished out two assists.
For the season, Simonds is averaging a Sun Belt-best 21.8 points per game, 5.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, shooting 45.1 percent from the floor.
2017-18 Player of the Week Archive
Nov. 15: Ike Smith, Georgia Southern
Nov. 21: Erick Neal, UTA
Nov. 28: Justin Forrest, Appalachian State and Frank Bartley, Louisiana
Dec. 05: Kevin Hervey, UTA
Dec. 12: Tookie Brown, Georgia Southern
Jan. 02: Rodrick Sikes, South Alabama
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Thursday, January 11
*Georgia State at Appalachian State, 6:30 PM
*Georgia Southern at Coastal Carolina, 6:30 PM
*UTA at Little Rock, 7:00 PM
*Texas State at Arkansas State, 7:30 PM
Saturday, January 13
*Georgia Southern at Appalachian State, 2:30 PM
*Georgia State at Coastal Carolina (ESPN3), 2:30 PM
*Troy at South Alabama, 3:05 PM
*Texas State at Little Rock, 5:00 PM
*UTA at Arkansas State, 7:00 PM
*ULM at Louisiana, 7:00 PM
?* - Sun Belt Conference game
* - Sun Belt Conference game