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Press ReleaseLOGAN, Utah -- Utah State men's basketball player Tai Wesley has been named the Verizon Wireless Western Athletic Conference player of the week it was announced by the league office Monday. Wesley was also named the America First Credit Union Utah State Student-Athlete of the Week, which is voted on by a state media panel, for the period ending on Sunday, Dec. 27.
It is the first time in his three-year career that Wesley has been awarded the league's top weekly honor. As for USU Athlete of the Week honors, it is the second-straight week and fifth time overall that Wesley has garnered USU¹s top weekly individual honor.
Wesley, a 6-7 junior forward from Provo, Utah (Provo HS), was named the Most Valuable Player of the Basketball Travelers Invitational hosted by Utah State last week as the Aggies defeated Morehead State (79-72), Cal State Fullerton (83-60) and Weber State (85-73). Against the Eagles, Wesley had 18 points, eight rebounds and three steals, as he was 6-of-8 from the field and 6-of-9 at the free throw line. Against the Titans, he scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, three assists and had a season-high three blocks. And against the Wildcats, he scored 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 shooting at the free throw line, to go along with eight rebounds and a season-high six assists.
For the tournament, Wesley averaged 16.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.7 blocks per game, while shooting 65.4 percent from the field (17-26) and 69.6 percent at the free throw line (16-23).
On the season, Wesley is averaging 14.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, and is shooting 58.2 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from the free throw line. He currently ranks sixth in the WAC in field goal shooting, is ninth in rebounding, 10th in blocked shots (0.92) and 13th in scoring.
Utah State (9-4, 0-0) will host Western Oregon (6-2) on Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m., before beginning Western Athletic Conference play on Saturday, Jan. 2 at New Mexico State (6-6, 0-0) in a game that will start at 9 p.m. (MT) and be televised nationally on ESPNU.
(Courtesy USU Athletic Department)
