Patriot League Men’s Basketball The Rock Player and Rookie of the Week Announced (2.12.18)
 
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Lehigh senior guard Kahron Ross claimed his second Patriot League Men’s Basketball The Rock Player of the Week honor this season, while Lafayette freshman guard Alex Petrie was named The Rock Rookie of the Week for the second-consecutive week and the third time this season, when weekly awards were announced by the League office on Monday.
 
Ross scored a career-high 30 points in a victory over American, while averaging 21.0 points in a pair of victories for the Mountain Hawks, helping them move to fifth-place in the Patriot League standings. This is Ross’s second career player of the week and seventh weekly honor. Petrie helped the Leopards to a 2-0 week, averaging 19.5 points per game. The freshman guard has claimed three rookie of the week honors and led all Patriot League rookies, averaging 14.9 points per game.
 
Lafayette senior forward Matt Klinewski earns a spot on the weekly honorable mention list after averaging 19.5 points and 6.0 rebounds during the Leopards undefeated week. He is joined on the list by Bucknell senior forward Zach Thomas, who recorded a double-double with 36 points and 13 rebounds in a loss to Lehigh, as well as Colgate senior guard Jordan Robertson, who scored a team-high 20 points off the bench to defeat Boston University.
 
The Patriot League Men’s Basketball The Rock Player and Rookie of the Week awards are selected in a vote by League media members and each school’s sports information director, who are not eligible to vote for their own student-athletes.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL THE ROCK PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kahron Ross, Lehigh, Sr., G, 5-11, Jonesboro, Ark./Jonesboro
Ross averaged 21.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists to help the Mountain Hawks earn victories against Bucknell and American, last week. Ross exploded for a career-high 30 points, going 13-of-21 from the floor, while dishing out five assists and pulling down four rebounds in a win over American. The senior guard also finished with 12 points, five rebounds, five steals and two assists in a win over League-leading Bucknell, last Monday.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL THE ROCK ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Alex Petrie, Lafayette, Fr., G, 6-4, Midlothian, Va./St. Christopher’s
Petrie averaged 19.5 points and 3.0 rebounds during a 2-0 week that saw Lafayette defeat Army West Point and Loyola Maryland to move in front of both teams in the standings. The freshman guard scored a game-high 23 points, including hitting all nine free throw attempts, to go along with four rebounds in the Leopards’ victory over the Black Knights on Wednesday. He finished with 16 points on 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range against the Greyhounds on Sunday. Petrie, who leads all League rookies in scoring (14.9 ppg), earns his third The Rock Rookie of the Week honor of the season.
 
WEEKLY HONORABLE MENTION
Matt Klinewski, Lafayette, Sr., F, 6-8, Vorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional
Klinewski averaged 19.5 points and 6.0 rebounds to help Lafayette register victories over Army West Point and Loyola Maryland during their two-game homestand. The senior forward scored a game-high 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting, while pulling down six rebounds in Sunday’s victory over the Greyhounds. On Wednesday, Klinewski finished with 14 points, six rebounds and two assists to help the Leopards defeat the Black Knights.
 
Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr., F, 6-7, Ijamsville, Md./Oakdale
Thomas recorded his 12th double-double of the season, finishing with 36 points and 13 rebounds against Lehigh last Monday. The six-time player of the week scored 26 of his 36 points after halftime in the overtime loss. Thomas tied a program record with his fourth career game with 30 points or more. His 36 points was two shy of his career-high.
  
Jordan Robertson, Colgate, Sr., G,  6-3, Cape May Court House, N.J./Wildwood Catholic
Robertson led the Raiders to a victory over Boston University on Wednesday, scoring a team-leading and season-high 20 points off the bench, while also pulling down five rebounds. The senior guard went 3-for-3 from deep. The win gave the Raiders sole possession of second-place in the League.
 
Previous Patriot League Men’s Basketball Weekly Award Winners
2.5.18
Player: Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr. F
Rookie: Alex Petrie, Lafayette, Fr. G
 
1.29.18
Player: Andre Walker, Loyola Maryland, Sr., G
Rookie: Jordan Burns, Colgate, Fr., G
 
1.22.18
Player: Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr., F
Rookie: Jordan Burns, Colgate, Fr., G
 
1.15.18
Player: Andre Walker, Loyola Maryland, Sr. G
Rookie: Alex Petrie, Lafayette, Fr., G
 
1.8.18
Player: Matt Klinewski, Lafayette, Sr., F
Rookie: Sam Iorio, American, Fr., F
 
1.2.18
Player: Cedric Hankerson, Boston University, Sr. G
Rookie: Walter Whyte, Boston University, Fr. F
 
12.26.17
Player: Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr. F
Rookie: Jack Ferguson, Colgate, Fr. G
 
12.18.17
Player: Nana Foulland, Bucknell, Sr. C
Rookie: Alex King, Army West Point, Fr. F
 
12.11.17
Player: Kahron Ross, Lehigh, Sr., G
Rookie: Austin Butler, Holy Cross, Fr. G
 
12.4.17
Player: Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr., F
Rookie: Justin Jaworski, Lafayette, Fr. G
 
11.27.17
Player: Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr., F
Rookie: Jimmy Sotos, Bucknell, Fr., G
 
11.20 17
Player: Jordan Fox, Army West Point, Jr., G
Rookie: Jordan Burns, Colgate, Fr., G
 
11.13 17
Player: Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr., F
Rookie: Caleb Green, Holy Cross, Fr., G
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
 
The Patriot League is in its third decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.