Jeffers Named Big South Co-Player of the Week

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Radford senior guard/forward Brandon Jeffers (Baltimore, Md.) has been selected as the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Men’s Basketball co-Player of the Week for the final week of the season the League office announced today. Jeffers earned the award with Birmingham-Southern junior guard James Collins (Baton Rouge, La.). The two will square off Tuesday night in the first round of the 2005 Advacne Auto Parts Big South Conference Tournament First Round.

Jeffers sparked Radford to two wins last week, helping the Highs capture the No. 5 seed in the Advance Auto Parts Basketball Championship. He scored 21 points in RU’s double-overtime win at High Point, scoring three crucial baskets in the extra sessions, including five of Radford’s 11 points in the second OT. Jeffers scored 14 points Saturday vs. UNCA and finished the week with 17.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG.

Collins averaged 15.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in two games, shooting .526 from the floor (10-of-19) and a blistering .538 from three-point range (7-of-13). He scored a game-high 17 points at Charleston Southern, followed by 14 points in Saturday’s win at Coastal Carolina, which helped the Panthers clinch the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Advance Auto Parts Basketball Championship.

The two will meet Tuesday when fifth-seeded RU heads to Birmingham to face the fourt-seeded Panthers. Game time for the first round of the single elimination tournament is 8:00 pm (ET). The winner will advance to face the winner between #1 Winthrop and #8 Coastal Carolina.

The League also announced that VMI forward Reggie Williams (Prince George, Va.) received New Balance Freshman of the Week.