Wright-Foreman (Hofstra/DI) and Toney (NJCU/DII-DIII) Repeat as Weekly Winners
MBWA Players of the Week (1-8 to 1-14) 2017-18 / Week 5
FFI: Chuck Stogel, MBWA - 914-428-6111, chstogel@aol.com
Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association
www.MetBasketballWriters.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wright-Foreman, Toney Tabbed as Weekly MBB Winners
NEW YORK (Jan. 16, 2018) ---
Justin Wright-Foreman of Hofstra in Division I and
Sam Toney of NJCU in Divisions II-III have been named Men’s Players of the Week by the Met Basketball Writers Assn.
The designations, for games played Jan. 8-14, are unique in that they encompass players from 74 Met area schools across Divisions I, II and III.
The designation for Wright-Foreman was his second this season, having been previously named by the MBWA on Dec. 12. Toney’s honor was his second Met Writers weekly selection in a row and third overall this season, having received similar acclaim Dec. 5 and Jan. 9.
A 6-1 junior guard from Queens, NY, Wright-Foreman --- who also was named Colonial Athletic Association player of the week --- averaged 27.5 points, 3.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game in leading the Pride (11-7) to a pair of road wins in conference play. He shot 71% (20-of-28) from the field during the week, including 7-of-13 from beyond the arc.
Wright-Foreman first registered a 35-point, six-assist, five-rebound effort in the Pride’s buzzer-beating 76-73 win at Towson on Thursday, ending the Tigers 14-game homecourt winning streak. Next, he scored a team-best 20 points on a nearly perfect 8-of-9 shooting performance in Hofstra's 91-86 win at Drexel.
This season, Wright-Foreman is averaging 25.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per outing.
A 6-4 sophomore forward from Plainfield, NJ, Toney --- who also was named NJAC player of the week for the second straight week and third time overall this season --- broke the NJCU record for points in a road game with 42 points which also ranks as the fourth highest scoring performance overall in the 85-year history of the program.
In a 1-1 week for the Gothic Knights (12-3), Toney averaged a double-double of 31.0 points and 12.5 rebounds, shooting 54.1% (20-of-37) from the field, 41.2% (7-of-17) from 3-point range and 93.8% (15-of-16) from the free throw line.
In an 85-84 overtime loss at Ramapo, Toney’s 42 points represent the most by any NJCU player since February 1981 and eclipsed the school record of 41 points in a road contest set by Johnny Mayers at Kean on February 9, 1987. In an 81-67 win over Stockton, Toney produced a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Players receiving MBWA Men’s Division I Honorable Mention for the week: De’von Barnett, Sacred Heart; Shadrac Casimir, Iona; Angel Delgado, Seton Hall; Austin Williams, Marist.
Players receiving MBWA Men’s Divisions II-III Honorable Mention for the week: Savon Charles, Dominican; Chima Ekekeugbor, Baruch; Luis Hernandez, Lehman; Eric Johnson-Alford, Caldwell; Jack Laffey, Adlephi; Patrick MacDonald, SUNY Maritime; Jimmy Martinelli, NYU; Terrell Spaulding, Felician; Jamar Sudan, St. Thomas Aquinas.
Previous MBWA 2016-17 Men’s Players of the Week: Dec. 5, Desi Rodriguez, Seton Hall, Div. I; Dequawne Richards, Mercy, and Sam Toney, NJCU, co-winners Divs. II-III . . . Dec. 12, Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra, Div. I; Dom Cristiano, NYU, and Terrell Spaulding, Felician, co-winners Divs. II-III . . . Dec. 19, Corey Sanders, Rutgers, Div. I; Lavrone Green, NJCU, and Jack Laffey, Adelphi, co-winners Divs. II-III . . . Jan. 9, Angel Delgado, Seton Hall, Div. I; Sam Toney, NJCU, Divs. II-III.