Jan. 17, 2011

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy freshman forward J.J. Avila has been named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week for the third straight week and for the fifth time overall, the league office announced on Monday afternoon. His five Rookie of the Week honors are the second most in school history, just one behind Michael Heary's six during the 1994-95 season.

Avila's five Rookie of the Week awards are tied for the ninth most in Patriot League history and just 11 Patriot League players before him have won three consecutive ROW accolades.

Avila, a 6-7 forward from McAllen, Texas, posted a pair of impressive performances on the road against the Lehigh Valley schools. In the Mids' 71-63 setback to Lehigh on Wednesday night, Avila recorded his second career double-double with 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds while adding three assists and three steals in 30 minutes of action. He went 4-of-12 from the field, including 2-of-6 from three-point range against the Mountain Hawks.

In Saturday's 76-73 loss to Lafayette, Avila narrowly missed his second straight double-double with a 13-point, nine-rebound, three-assist, two-block, two-steal performance in a career-high 35 minutes of action. Avila went 5-of-11 from the field and 3-of-7 from three-point range against the Leopards. For the week, Avila averaged 13.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 3.0 apg and 2.5 spg in 32.5 minutes per game.

Avila currently ranks second on the team in scoring (11.0 ppg), second in rebounding (5.3 rpg), second in assists (38), first in steals (29), third in three-pointers made (28) and first in free throw percentage (.822). Among league freshmen, Avila ranks first in the league in scoring, rebounding, steals, three-pointers made, free throw percentage and is third in assists. He already ranks 17th on the school's freshman scoring list with 209 points and is on pace to become just the fourth freshman, and first since Vernon Butler in 1983, to average 10.0 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game. He surpassed the 200-point plateau against Lafayette on Saturday in just his 19th game, the fifth fastest that a Navy player has scored 200 points in school history.

In league play only, Avila leads the squad with a 15.3 points per game average and a 7.3 rebound per game average. During Navy's three Patriot League contests, Avila is shooting 43.2 percent (16-of-37) from the field and 43.5 percent (10-of-23) from beyond the three-point arc. Among the Patriot League leaders (in league games only), Avila is eighth in scoring, fifth in rebounding, third in steals and tied for first in three-pointers made (10). He is one of five players to rank in the top 10 of both scoring and rebounding in league games only.

Avila and his teammates return home for a tilt against Holy Cross in Alumni Hall, beginning at 7:00 pm, on Wednesday night. The game will be streamed online as part of the Patriot League All-Access package awith Pete Medhurst and Michael Heary providing the call on WNAV (1430 AM) and SIRIUS Satellite Radio (Ch. 152), beginning with the Navy Basketball pregame show at 6:45 pm. Tickets are available by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY, online at NavySports.com or at the Alumni Hall Box Office, which will open one hour before Wednesday's 7:00 pm tip-off.

# GO NAVY #