GLIAC -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) has announced player of the week awards for Week Five of the 2018-19 men's basketball season. Northern Michigan guard Naba Echols earned GLIAC Men's Basketball North Division honors, while Ashland guard Rodrick Caldwell captured South Division accolades.
NORTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Naba Echols – Northern Michigan
The senior guard averaged 21 points per game as Northern Michigan picked up two GLIAC victories over the weekend. Echols scored 20 points, shooting 75 percent from the field, and dished out a career-high 10 assists as he helped guid the Wildcats to a 108-69 victory over Purdue University Northwest. It was the most team points scored in a game since the 1993-94 season. It was also Echols's first double-double since 2015. Saturday, he made four straight from behind the arc on his way to 22 points. He tallied 14 assists on the weekend and averaged four rebounds per game.
SOUTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Rodrick Caldwell – Ashland
Rodrick Caldwell averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game last week as the Eagles rolled to wins at Grand Valley State and Davenport. The junior guard shot 58.8 percent (10-for-18) from three-point range, making five three-pointers in each game. Overall, he shot 54.5 percent (12-for-22) from the field and 7-for-8 (87.5 percent) from the line. Caldwell scored 22 points with seven rebounds and three assists in a 74-63 win at GVSU on Thursday, and followed it up with 19 points in a 72-60 win at Davenport on Saturday. He was 5-for-7 from 3-point range against the Panthers. Caldwell is third in the GLIAC in scoring (18.0) and sixth in 3-pointers (24). He leads the league in minutes played.
HONORABLE MENTION
NORTH: Dawson Bilski (MTU), Rog Stein (LSSU), Markese Mayfield (FSU)
SOUTH: Hunter Hale (GVSU), Alec Marty (NU), Delano Smith (DU), James Toohey (SVSU)