Virginia Tech center Keve Aluma earned two prestigious awards on Monday, earning Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Player of the Week and ACC Player of the Week.
The national award marks Aluma’s first career nod and the league’s second selection for him this season, following winning it on Nov. 30. He joins Justin Robinson (Feb. 12, 2018) as the lone Hokie to win the Naismith weekly honor, which has been around for four seasons (started in 2017-18), and joins Zabian Dowdell (2007-07), Jeff Allen (2010-11) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (2018-19) as the only ones to win ACC Player of the Week twice in a season.
The redshirt junior averaged 21.5 points, 11,0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 blocks per game last week, while shooting a solid 60.0 percent from the field (15-for-25) and impressive 91.7 clip from the charity stripe (11-for-12).
Aluma went off against the first-place team in the league with a career-high 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including making two triples, and a 7-for-8 clip from the charity stripe, while owning 10 rebounds, four assists and a block versus then-No. 8/8 Virginia Saturday. He also drew nine fouls and had a +22 plus-minus.
The Wofford transfer was steady at Notre Dame last Tuesday, recording a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double in 30 minutes of action on 5-of-10 shooting and a perfect 4-for-4 mark from the free-throw line. Also chipped in three blocks and a steal and drew seven fouls.
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Chris Graham
