LUBBOCK – Texas Tech sophomore Christian Anderson has earned his third Big 12 Player of the Week and fifth Big 12 Starting Five selection of the season after leading the No. 10 Red Raiders to a pair of wins last week where he averaged 22.5 points, 7.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds. Anderson and Donovan Atwell, who have both broken Tech’s previous 3-point record of 94 makes in a season by Cory Carr in 1996-97, were selected to the Big 12 Starting Five for their performances against Cincinnati and Iowa State last week.
Arizona’s Brayden Burries was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week while Anderson and Atwell are joined on the Big 12 Starting Five by Burries, Cameron Carr (Baylor) and Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati) this week. Anderson’s three selections as Big 12 Player of the Week are the second most in the conference this season, only behind teammate JT Toppin who earned four Big 12 Player of the Week honors before his season-ending injury.
Anderson was tabbed the league’s top player for the third time this season after he recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 31 points, a career-high 11 rebounds and seven assists in a home win over Cincinnati before having 14 points, seven assists and three rebounds in the road win over then-No. 4 Iowa State last Saturday. Anderson leads the Big 12 and is third nationally with 7.7 assists per game while ranking fifth in the conference with 19.4 points per game this season. He now has 96 made 3-pointers and is currently ninth nationally with 3.43 made 3s per game and is 12th in the country by shooting 43.2% from deep for the season. For the season, Anderson has 215 assists which is second in a season in Tech’s history and is approaching the single-season record of 226 established by Elijah Hawkins. His 7.7 assists per game is on pace to establish a new single-season record.
Anderson, who is on the Wooden Award and Naismith National Player of the Year late-season watch list, now has 914 points and 292 assists through 63 career games at Texas Tech. Anderson has eight games this season in double-figure assists, including a career-high 13 assists earlier this season in a home win over Oklahoma State. He is currently 167-of-409 (40.8%) on 3-pointers in his career.
Atwell earned his first Big 12 honor of the season after going 10-for-19 (52.6%) on 3-pointers last week and averaging 15.0 points per game. He started the week with 12 points against Cincinnati after making 4-of-9 from beyond the arc before leading Tech with 18 points at Iowa State. Atwell was 6-for-10 on 3-pointers against the Cyclones and now leads the Big 12 with 110 made 3-pointers for the season – ranking third nationally. For the season, Atwell is second nationally with 3.79 made 3-pointers per game and third by shooting 46.2% from beyond the arc. A transfer who played his first three seasons at UNC Greensboro, Atwell will be honored on Senior Night before the Red Raiders host TCU at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at United Supermarkets Arena.
Atwell is currently averaging 13.1 points per game this season and comes into Tech’s home finale with 1,270 points and has made 321 3-pointers through 123 career games.
Big 12 Player of the Week
Nov. 10 – Koa Peat, Arizona & Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Nov. 17 – Kingston Flemings, Houston
Nov. 24 – P.J. Haggerty, K-State
Dec. 1 – Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Dec. 8 – Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Dec. 15 – Melvin Council Jr., Kansas
Dec. 22 – Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Dec. 30 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Jan. 5 – JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Jan. 12 – Richie Saunders, BYU
Jan. 19 – JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Jan. 26 – JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Feb. 2 – Brayden Burries, Arizona
Feb. 9 – Flory Bidunga, Kansas
Feb. 16 – JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Feb. 23 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Mar. 2 – Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week
Nov. 10 – Koa Peat, Arizona
Nov. 17 – Kingston Flemings, Houston
Nov. 24 – Koa Peat, Arizona
Dec. 1 – Moe Odum, Arizona State
Dec. 8 – Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor
Dec. 15 – Melvin Council Jr., Kansas
Dec. 22 – LeJuan Watts, Texas Tech
Dec. 30 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Jan. 5 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Jan. 12 – Honor Huff, West Virginia
Jan. 19 – Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Jan. 26 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Feb. 2 – Brayden Burries, Arizona
Feb. 9 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Feb. 16 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Feb. 23 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Mar. 2 – Brayden Burries, Arizona
Big 12 Starting Five:
Brayden Burries, Arizona (newcomer)
Cameron Carr, Baylor
Moustapha Thiam, Cincinnati
Christian Anderson, Texas Tech (player)
Donovan Atwell, Texas Tech
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