Southeastern’s Gus Okafor crowned Southland Men’s Basketball Player of the Week

FRISCO, Texas – Southeastern’s Gus Okafor is the Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. Weekly awards are presented by GEICO.

The junior forward nearly averaged a double-double with 19 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in the Lions’ wins over league-leaders New Orleans and Nicholls. Okafor tallied a game-high 21 points in an 84-79 victory over the Privateers on Thursday and added 17 points to lead a hard-fought 21-point comeback in an 83-81 win over Nicholls on Saturday.

Southeastern (17-13, 9-4 SLC) wraps up its regular season on the road versus Northwestern State at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday. The Lions would secure one of the league’s double-byes with a win and could earn the No. 1 seed if Nicholls loses to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and beats New Orleans.

Men’s Basketball Player of the Week – Gus Okafor, Southeastern – Junior – Forward – Baltimore, Md.
Okafor notched a game-high 21 points in a win over then first-place New Orleans, including a trio of three-pointers and a perfect 6-for-6 performance at the free-throw line. He also added a pair of assists and two steals. Okafor accounted for 15 points in the second half, assisting on a pair of baskets and hitting two of his long-range attempts to help fend off the Privateers.

The team followed with another crucial win over Nicholls, who entered tied atop the standings, to complete the season sweep of the Colonels on Senior Night. Trailing by 21 with 11:36 remaining, the Lions completed an improbable comeback, and Okafor shot 5-of-7 from the floor with 14 of his 17 points during that stretch. He finished the night with 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals. This marks his first career weekly honor.

Honorable Mention: Kendal Coleman, Northwestern State; Simeon Fryer, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi; RJ Glasper, UIW; Ty Gordon, Nicholls.

2021-22 Southland Men’s Basketball Players of the Week
Feb. 28 – Gus Okafor, Southeastern
Feb. 21 – Ty Gordon, Nicholls
Feb. 14 – Troy Green, New Orleans
Feb. 7 – Darius Lee, HBU
Jan. 31 – Derek St. Hilaire, New Orleans
Jan. 24 – Darius Lee, HBU
Jan. 17 – Troy Green, New Orleans
Jan. 10 – Keon Clergeot, Southeastern
Jan. 3 – Ty Gordon, Nicholls
Dec. 27 – Ty Gordon, Nicholls
Dec. 20 – Ty Gordon, Nicholls
Dec. 13 – Ty Gordon, Nicholls
Dec. 6 – Isaac Mushila, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Nov. 29 – Derek St. Hilaire, New Orleans
Nov. 22 – Isaac Mushila, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Nov. 15 – Ty Gordon, Nicholls