The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected Illinois guard Demetri McCamey as its Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Jan. 2. The USBWA’s weekly honor is presented by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and will be handed out each Tuesday through Feb. 22 this season.
As the Big Ten Conference Co-Player of the Week, McCamey was nominated for the weekly award, which was chosen by a representative of the USBWA board of directors from a list of Division I conference players of the week.
McCamey, a 6-3 senior from Bellwood, Ill., led the Illini to wins over Iowa and Wisconsin by averaging 20.5 points and 8.5 assists. In the two games, he shot 61 percent from the field and 75 percent from three-point range.
McCamey registered his first double-double of the season and the seventh of his career at Iowa, scoring 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-5 from behind the arc, while tying his season high with 10 assists. Against Wisconsin, McCamey scored a game-high 21 points – including 14 of Illinois’ final 16 points – to register his fifth 20-point game of the year and 22nd of his career. He also had seven assists against the Badgers.
This is the second season that the USBWA has selected a national player of the week. The weekly Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week is added to the Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list, which will be released at mid-season.