INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has named five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Sunday, Dec. 17.
For the 2023-24 season, the USBWA has expanded its national player of the week program that has been affiliated with the Oscar Robertson Trophy since the 2009-10 season. In past seasons, the USBWA has recognized just one player each week.
Each Tuesday during the regular season, designated USBWA board members will select five standouts from the 32 Division I conference players of the week to be recognized.
Following are the five players selected for performance this past week:
Tyler Cochran, Toledo (Mid-American Conference)
The 6-2 junior guard from Bolingbrook. Ill, exploded for a career-high 33 points and also racked up eight rebounds, five assists and four steals in Toledo's 88-87 victory over Marshall last Wednesday in the Rockets' lone game of the week but their third straight win. Cochran knocked down 13-of-16 shots (.813) from the field, 2-of-3 from three-point range and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Kevin Cross, Tulane (American Athletic Conference)
Cross, a 6-8 senior forward from Little Rock, Ark., recorded back-to-back triple-doubles against Furman and Southern, becoming the first player to have a triple-double in consecutive games against Division I opponents in 15 years and joining Penny Hardaway as the only Division I players with consecutive 20-plus point triple-doubles since assists became official in 1984. Cross was also only the eighth Division I player to record a back-to-back triple-double. Cross tallied 25 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists and a career-high six steals to help Tulane outlast Furman for a 117-110 victory in double overtime on Thursday. He also forced the first overtime by sinking three clutch free throws with under one second remaining to knot the score at 92. On Saturday, Cross posted 20 points, 11 assists and 10 boards in a 105-81 win over Southern. For the week, he averaged 22.5 points, 11.5 assists and 11.0 rebounds.
Fletcher Loyer, Purdue (Big Ten Conference)
The 6-4 sophomore guard from Fort Wayne, Ind., scored 27 points to go with four steals and three assists to lead Purdue to a 92-84 win over top-ranked Arizona and elevate the Boilermakers back to the top spot in the AP poll. Loyer was 11-for-18 from the field, including 5-for-9 from three-point range and his 27 points and four steals marked career highs.
Ian Martinez, Utah State (Mountain West Conference)
A 6-3 senior guard from Heredia, Costa Rica, Martinez averaged 24.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 steals while shooting 52.0 percent (13-for-25) from the field, 41.7 percent (5-of-12) from behind the arc and 81.0 percent (17-of-21) at the free throw line in two close non-conference wins. At Santa Clara, Martinez led the Aggies with a career-best 28 points in an 84-82 win before scoring 20 points to go with eight rebounds and five steals in a 54-53 win over San Francisco in Salt Lake City.
Mitchell Saxen, Saint Mary's (West Coast Conference)
The 6-10 senior center from Seattle, Wash., nearly single-handedly willed the Gaels to victory over UNLV in the Jerry Colangelo Classic in Phoenix. With career highs in points (23) and rebounds (16), Saxen hit the game-winning layup as time expired in double OT to secure the third consecutive victory for the Gaels. Saxen scored all 10 of his team's points in the second overtime.
Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation's oldest award and the only one named after a former player.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership. The winner of the award will be announced at the 2024 Men's Final Four in Glendale, Ariz., with the formal presentation to follow at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 800 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.
2023-24 USBWA Men's Weekly Honors
• Week ending Nov. 12: Armando Bacot, North Carolina; Tucker DeVries, Drake; Terrence Edwards, James Madison; Dillon Jones, Weber State; Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor.
• Week ending Nov. 19: Hunter Dickinson, Kansas; Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State; Quinten Post, Boston College; Kyle Rode, Liberty; Marcus Tsohonis, Long Beach State.
• Week ending Nov. 26: Zach Edey, Purdue; Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas; Isaiah Stevens, Colorado State; Tyler Thomas, Hofstra; Jamir Watkins, Florida State.
• Week ending Dec. 3: Boo Buie Northwestern; Boogie Ellis, USC; Baylor Scheierman, Creighton; Shahada Wells, McNeese; Trazarien White, UNCW.
• Week ending Dec. 10: Mika Adams-Woods, St. Bonaventure; Enrique Freeman, Akron; David Jones, Memphis; Arthur Kaluma, Kansas State; Tyler Kolek, Marquette.
• Week ending Dec. 17: Tyler Cochran, Toledo; Kevin Cross, Tulane; Fletcher Loyer, Purdue; Ian Martinez, Utah State; Mitchell Saxen, Saint Mary's.