Jan. 7, 2014
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State senior guard Xavier Thames (Sacramento, Calif.) was named NetScouts Basketball's National Player of the Week, the publication recently announced.
It's the third honor this week for Thames, who was named Mountain West Player of the Week and ESPN national player of the week on Monday. It was the second time this season Thames earned the MW award, as he's the only player in the conference to do so multiple times.
The Aztecs point guard averaged 19.5 points, 3.5 assists and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line in two games this week, leading then-No. 21/19 San Diego State to road victories over MW foe Colorado State, 71-61, on Jan. 1, and No. 16/17 Kansas, 61-57, on Sunday. Thames shot 44.8 percent from the field in the two wins, including 50 percent (5-for-10) from three-point range.
Against Colorado State, the senior scored 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting while matching his career-high with five steals. His eight made field goals against the Rams was also a career best. In the non-conference victory over Kansas, Thames posted a team-high 16 points with a game-high-tying two steals, including a 3-pointer with three minutes remaining and four free throws in the final eight seconds.
SDSU won its MW opener for the seventh-consecutive season and snapped Kansas' streak of 68-straight home victories against non-conference opponents. The Aztecs' three victories this season over top-25 teams away from home are tied for the most by any Division I team in a season on or before Jan. 5 since 1996-97, and they join North Carolina as the only teams in the nation to defeat three AP top-25 opponents this season.
No. 13/15 San Diego State resumes MW action on Wednesday, Jan. 8, when it plays host to Boise State, beginning at 8 p.m. PT at Viejas Arena.