NEW YORK - Seton Hall's Stephon Payne and Matt Hodge from Villanova earned BIG EAST Men's Basketball weekly honors. Payne was dominant in the Pirates' win at Providence, finishing with 18 points and 16 rebounds while Hodge tallied 15 points and six rebounds in the Wildcats' overtime win over Wisconsin this past Friday.
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Stephon Payne, Seton Hall, F, Sr.
Payne registered his second double-double of the week, with 18 points and a career-best 16 rebounds, in Seton Hall's win at Providence. The senior from Jacksonville, Fla. connected on 8-of-10 shots from the floor. Five of Payne's 16 boards came on the offensive glass, resulting in six points by the 6-9 forward. He also added a steal and a blocked shot in 30 minutes of play in the win.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Matt Hodge, Villanova, F, Fr.
Hodge was a key component in Villanova's win over Wisconsin, finishing with 15 points - including five in overtime - to go with six rebounds, three blocked shots, and an assist. The 6-8 forward connected on 5-of-9 from the floor, including two 3-pointers, and was 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. The Wildcats are 6-0 when Hodge tallies double-digits in the scoring column this season.
BIG EAST Honor Roll
Michael Ajayi, Butler, F, Gr.
Ajayi averaged 13.5 points, 14.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 3.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks in a 1-1 week for Butler. The 6-7 forward had his best performance this past Saturday in a win over Northwestern, tallying 19 points and a career-high 20 rebounds. Ajayi ranks second nationally with nine double-doubles.
Solo Ball, UConn, G, Jr.
Ball poured in a career-high 26 points in UConn's win over Butler, connecting on 8-of-14 shots from the floor - including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and 7-of-8 from the line. He added five rebounds, two assists, and a blocked shot in 32 minutes of play. The 26-point performance was the most by a UConn player this season.
Austin Swartz, Creighton, G, So.
Swartz averaged 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steal in a record-setting 2-0 week for Creighton. His best game of the week came at Xavier, where he poured in a career-best 27 points in 23 minutes of action. Eight of Swartz's 14 field goals on the week came from beyond the arc.
Duke Brennan, Villanova, F, Gr.
Brennan logged his fourth double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds in Villanova's win over Wisconsin. The 6-10 forward was 5-for-7 from the floor and added four assists and a steal in 39 minutes of play. Brennan has recorded seven games with 10 or more rebounds and ranks third nationally in rebounding (11.6 rpg).
Tre Carroll, Xavier, F, Sr.
Carroll averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in a 1-1 week for Xavier. His best outing came in a comeback win at Georgetown, as the 6-8 forward finished with 22 points, eight boards, four assists, and a blocked shot in 28 minutes. Carroll connected on nearly 55% from the floor (12-22) over the two-game span.