Week 1 November 9 – November 16

A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

Dionte Christmas – Temple Owls (SG)

Week 1 Honors go to Dionte Christmas who was selected A10Collegehoops Pre-Season Player of the Year by A10CollegeHoops contributor WH. Christmas averaged an astonishing 26 points per game and 9 rebounds leading Temple to a (2-0) start on the season.

A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week

Trey Blue – Fordham Rams (G)

Blue opened his collegiate career with a very impressive performance, a 24 point output put him in the Fordham record books, topping the old freshman debut mark of 20 set by Bryant Dunston.

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Mark Schmidt – St. Bonaventure Bonnies (Head Coach)

Schmidt’s blue collar work ethic has the Bonnie’s rolling at (2-0). The nay sayers who picked St. Bonaventure to finish in the A10 cellar are cringing fearfully in the dark these days.

Week 2 November 17- November 24

A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

Jimmy Baron – Rhode Island Rams (SG)

Baron had one of the best shooting performances ever by a visiting player at Cameron Indoor Stadium (8-10 3pt fgm-fga). Baron finished off the week avg. 18.7 ppg as Rhode Island improved their record to (3-1).

A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week

Andrew Nicholson – St. Bonaventure Bonnies (F)

Nicholson, the former Canadian High School Star averaged 13.5 ppg, 4.5 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game helping the Bonnies jump out to an impressive (3-1) record.

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Sean Miller – Xavier Musketeers (Head Coach)

Miller’s X-Men had impressive wins over BCS schools Missouri & Virginia Tech this week. The Musketeers capped off a great week with an impressive victory over #12 Memphis to win the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Championship.  Xavier is (5-0) ranked #20.

Week 3 November 25 – November 30

A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

Damian Saunders – Duquesne Dukes (F)

The versatile 6′7 Forward had a very productive week averaging 19 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting (62.2%).  Saunders is a topflight athlete who can impact the game at both ends, scored a career-high 22 points and pulled down 10 boards on Nov. 28 at #7 Duke.   

A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week

Andrew Nicholson – St. Bonaventure Bonnies (F)

Nicholson averaged 12 points, eight rebounds and 2.3 blocks over three games to earn his second consecutive A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week honor.  The talented freshman from Mississaugua, Ontario has recently drawn comparisons to a young David West A10 Alumn (Xavier).    

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Brian Gregory – Dayton Flyers (Head Coach)

Gregory has the Flyers soaring high as they knocked off #15 Marquette this week to capture the Chicago Invitational Challenge Championship.  Dayton is off to a 6-0 start the first time since 2003-2004.  Coach Gregory’s Flyers are locking down opponents as the team leads the A10 in scoring defense at 52.7 points per game.  No team has shot better than 40% from the field this year against Dayton.

Week 4 December 1 – December 7

A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

Ahmad Nivins – St. Joseph’s Hawks (F)

The A10’s leader in double-doubles had a spectacular week.  Nivins averaged 19 points and 14 rebounds over two contests.  Scored 20 points and pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds in Saint Joseph’s 77-64 win at Lehigh on Dec. 2.  On Dec. 6 vs Creighton, Nivins had a team-high 18 points and 11 boards.  This week he shot a remarkable 12-of-18 from the field. 

A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week

Andrew Nicholson – St. Bonaventure Bonnies (F)

A10CollegeHoops writers have been praising Nicholson since the pre-season.  Nicholson scored a season-high 16 points, nine rebounds and tied a St. Bonvaneture record with 8 blocks as the Bonnies defeated Princeton 60-53.  The freshman is the first Bonnies student-athlete in program annals to earn three A-10 Rookie of the Week Awards.

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Brian Gregory – Dayton Flyers (Head Coach)

Gregory’s team continues to fly high as Dayton defeated Akron this week to remain a perfect (8-0) on the season.  At (8-0) Dayton should be considered one of the nation’s top 25 teams in the new polls.  The Flyers will conclude their two game road swing with a matchup at Creighton on Dec. 10.

Week 5 December 8 – December 14

A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

Dionte Christmas – Temple Owls (SG)

Christmas tallied up a season-high 35 points (his ninth career 30-point performance) on 12-of-22 shooting from the field, including 7-of-14 from beyond the arc as Temple upset #8 Tennessee 88-72.  Dionte’s performance on national television boosted his draft stock more than anyone this week and enhanced the chances of hearing his name on draft day in ‘09.  Christmas is currently the A10 leader in scoring. 

A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week

Jio Fontan – Fordham Rams (PG) 

Fontan averaged 17.5 points and 5.5 assists for the Rams this week while recording a season-high 22 points, five assists, and three steals vs. Fairfield.  The highly-touted point guard has scored in double figures in six of his last seven contests.

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Derek Kellogg – Massachusetts Minutemen (Head Coach)

Coach Kellogg pulled off one of the school’s biggest upsets in years with the win over #23 Kansas.  The non-conference win against a ranked opponent was the first since UMass knocked off Georgetown in the NCAA tournament in ‘96.   Kellogg captured a win over a ranked opponent in just his ninth game as head coach.  UMass went an impressive (2-0) on the week with wins over Holy Cross and #23 Kansas.  The Rookie Minutemen Boss has made recruiting a big priority, assembling a very good recruiting class for next year.

Week 6 December 15- December 21

A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

Tommie Liddell III – Saint Louis Billikens (SG)

A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week

Eric Evans – Duquesne Dukes (PG)

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Brian Gregory - Dayton Flyers (Head Coach)

Week 8 December 22 – December 28

A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

Ahmad Nivins – Saint Joseph’s Hawks (F)

A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week

Jio Fontan – Fordham Rams (PG)

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Ron Everhart  – Duquesne Dukes (Head Coach)

Week 9 December 29 – January 4

A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

Aaron Jackson – Duquesne Dukes (G)

A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week

Andrew Nicholson – St. Bonaventure Bonnies (F)

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Mark Schmidt – St. Bonaventure Bonnies (Head Coach)

Week 10 January 6 – January 11

A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

Ahmad Nivins – Saint Joseph’s Hawks (F)

A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week

Andrew Nicholson – St. Bonaventure Bonnies (F)

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Sean Miller – Xavier Musketeers (Head Coach)

Week 11 January 12 – January 18

A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

Dionte Christmas – Temple Owls (SG)

A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week

Alberto Estwick – Fordham Rams (G)

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Sean Miller – Xavier Musketeers (Head Coach)

 Week 12 January 19 – January 25

 A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

Ahmad Nivins – Saint Joseph’s Hawks (F)

A10Collegehoops Rookie of the Week

Kenny Frease – Xavier Musketeers (C)

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Phil Martelli – Saint Joseph’s Hawks (Head Coach)

 Week 13 January 26 – February 1

A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

B.J. Raymond – Xavier Musketeers (G)

A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week

Jio Fontan – Fordham Rams (PG)

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Brian Gregory – Dayton Flyers (Head Coach)

 Week 14 February 2 – February 8

A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

Aaron Jackson – Duquesne Dukes (PG)

A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week

Andrew Nicholson – St. Bonaventure Bonnies (F)

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Fran Dunphy – Temple Owls (Head Coach)

Week 15 February 9 – February 15

A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

Lamont Mack – Charlotte 49ers (F)

A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week

Kwamain Mitchell – Saint Louis Billikens (G)

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Jim Baron – Rhode Island Rams (Head Coach)

Week 16 February 16 – February 22

A10CollegeHoops Player of the Week

Kevin Anderson – Richmond Spiders (G)

A10CollegeHoops Rookie of the Week

Kwamain Mitchell – Saint Louis Billikens (G)

A10CollegeHoops Coach of the Week

Rick Majerus – Saint Louis Billikens (Head Coach)