Kansas State University Athletics
Massey Named Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Player of the Week
Dec 27, 2004 | Men's Basketball
DALLAS, Texas Kansas State senior forward Jeremiah Massey was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Player of the Week on Monday after he posted a career-high 32 points in an 81-66 win over Northern Illinois on Dec. 21.
Massey, who twice earned the conference Rookie of the Week honor on Feb. 9 and March 8 of last season, becomes the first Wildcat to earn the player of the week award this season.
A native of Detroit, Mich., Massey has helped Kansas State (8-0) remain as one of just 13 unbeaten teams remaining in Division I and one of just four in the Big 12 Conference. Massey’s 32 points were the most by a Wildcat since Askia Jones scored a school-record 62 points against Fresno State in third round of the NIT on March 24, 1994. The 32 point effort was also matched twice by Elliot Hatcher against Auburn on Dec. 30, 1994 and Marshall on Dec. 2, 1995.
Massey broke out of a mini two-game slump against the Huskies, leading all scorers with a career-high 32 points on 8-of-15 field goals and 16-of-17 free throws. He scored 22 of his team-high 32 points in the second half when he was 5-of-9 from the field and 12-of-13 from the line. It was the first time a Wildcat has scored 30 or more points since Pervis Pasco netted 30 against North Texas on Dec. 15, 2001. Massey’s 16 free throws set a Bramlage Coliseum record and tied for the fourth-most in school history. It was the most by a Wildcat since Steve Henson knocked down 17 against Iowa State on Feb. 24, 1988. His 17 attempts also tied for the most by a Wildcat in Bramlage Coliseum with Askia Jones, who had 17 against Missouri on March 2, 1993. Massey has scored in double figures in six of the Wildcats’ eight games, including 20 or more point efforts against North Dakota State, Oakland and Northern Illinois.
The team leader in both scoring (16.5) and rebounding (6.8), Massey also paces the squad in six other categories, including field goals made (40), free throws (52) and free throw percentage (85.2). On the season, he is averaging 16.5 points on 44.0 percent shooting with 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 1.1 assists and 0.4 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game. Massey ranks among the top 15 in the Big 12 in five categories, including fifth in free throw percentage, eighth in both scoring and offensive rebounds (3.00) and 13th in both rebounding and field goal percentage (44.0).
Off to its best start in seven years, Kansas State (8-0) returns from its week-long holiday break on Tuesday when the Wildcats play host to Rutgers (5-3) at Bramlage Coliseum beginning at 7 p.m. The Wildcats are 8-0 for just the sixth time in school history and are off to their best start since the 1997-98 team posted nine straight victories to open the season.
The conference also announced that Aaron Bruce of Baylor and Richard Roby of Colorado were named the co-Rookies of the Week.