NESCAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week

March 3, 2008
Patrick Hasiuk, Trinity
(Senior, Guard - Enfield, Conn.)
Hasiuk helped his Bantams win the 2008 NESCAC Men’s Basketball Championship at Amherst over the weekend, the first NESCAC title in program history for Trinity. Hasiuk averaged 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals through the semifinals and the championship, shooting 50 percent from the floor (13-for-26) and from beyond the arc (7-for-14). Hasiuk scored 19 points in Saturday’s victory over Middlebury and repeated the performance during Sunday’s championship win over Bowdoin.  

February 25, 2008
Andrew Hippert, Bowdoin
(Senior, Guard - Worcester, Mass.)
Hippert scored a season-high 28 points as he helped his Polar Bears record their first win in tournament history during the quarterfinals of the 2008 NESCAC Men’s Basketball Championship on Saturday. Hippert connected on 10-of-15 shots, including five from three-point range, and scored 21 of his 28 points in the first half, as Bowdoin went into the locker room with a 41-18 halftime advantage and never looked back. Saturday’s win was also the 20th of the season for the Polar Bears, a program record. 

February 18, 2008
Adam Choice, Colby
(Sophomore, Forward - Newport, R.I.)
Choice averaged 22.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and shot 62 percent (16-for-26) from the floor and 86 percent (12-for-14) from the foul line to help the Mules go 2-0 in NESCAC action last week and secure a spot in the 2008 NESCAC Men’s Basketball Championship. In Friday’s 68-65 win over Bates, Choice had 18 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, including a crucial block with Colby leading by one with 21 seconds remaining. Saturday afternoon at Tufts, Choice poured in 27 points and grabbed six boards in a 71-68 victory.

February 11, 2008
Aaron Smith, Middlebury
(Junior, Forward - West Hartford, Conn.)
Smith averaged 18.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while shooting 53.7 percent from the floor (22-for-41) during a 2-1 week for the Panthers. Smith started the week with a team-high 16 points and 10 rebounds in a setback to Plattsburgh St. on Tuesday evening, then contributed another 16 points and 14 boards in a road win at Tufts on Friday. He closed out the week on Saturday with a game-high 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds in a victory at Bates. Saturday’s win over the Bobcats, the 17th this season for the Panthers, tied the program record. 

February 4, 2008
Fletcher Walters, Amherst
(Senior, Forward - Ann Arbor, Mich.)
Walters helped his team to two key NESCAC victories over the weekend, averaging 19.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while hitting 57.1 percent (12-for-21) of his shots. After recording his fifth double-double of the season on Friday with 12 points and 10 rebounds in a 72-66 win over Colby, Walters poured in a career-high 26 points on 8-of-11 shooting and contributed nine rebounds in an 85-79 victory over Bowdoin. Walters was also 9-for-11 from the line over the two games. 

January 28, 2008
Bryan Wholey, Bates
(Senior, Guard - Marshfield, Mass.)
Wholey led the Bobcats to a 2-0 road week, averaging 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game while averaging 39.0 minutes per game. Wholey tied his career-high in scoring which he set last year against Tufts by pouring in a game-high 28 points in a 72-68 overtime victory over the Jumbos on Saturday afternoon. For the week, Wholey went 16-for-33 from the floor (.485) and 12-for-15 from the foul line (.800). Wholey is third among all conference players in scoring at 16.3 points per game.

January 21, 2008
Patrick Hasiuk, Trinity
(Senior, Guard - Enfield, Conn.)
Hasiuk averaged 16.0 points and 5.7 assists during a 3-0 week for the Bantams. Hasiuk opened the week on Tuesday with 12 points, eight assists and four rebounds during an 83-74 win at WPI that snapped a five-game winning streak for the Engineers. He tied for the team lead in scoring on Friday against Bates and again on Saturday against Tufts, netting 20 points, five assists and four boards against the Bobcats before scoring 16 points and dishing the ball four times against the Jumbos. Hasiuk finished the week shooting 50 percent from the field (15-for-30), going 9-for-18 from behind the arc, and was a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line. He also posted an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.12.

January 14, 2008
Fletcher Walters, Amherst
(Senior, Forward - Ann Arbor, Mich.)
Walters averaged 19.5 points and 6.5 rebounds during two non-conference victories over NESCAC foes. On Tuesday against Wesleyan, Walters poured in a career-high 22 points. He finished the week on Saturday with 17 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and a career-high six assists. He hit at a 59.1 percent (13-for -22) clip from the floor and was 10-for-10 from the line.

Jon Pierce, Tufts
(Junior, Forward - Belmont, Mass.)
Pierce averaged 30.5 points over two victories for Tufts last week, scoring 34 points at UMass Boston and 27 at Wheaton. Pierce shot 55.6 percent (20-for-36) and also grabbed 11.5 rebounds per game. On the season, Pierce leads the NESCAC in scoring, averaging 23.3 points per game.

January 7, 2008
Nick Pelletier, Wesleyan
(Senior, Forward - Amherst, N.H.)
Pelletier earned MVP honors at the Jim Beaudry Classic hosted by the University of New England over the weekend, posting a pair of double-doubles as the Cardinals came away with the tournament championship. Pelletier had 15 points and 14 rebounds during Friday’s overtime victory over Thomas and 17 points and 10 rebounds in the title game against UNE. For the weekend, Pelletier was 12-for-23 (.522) from the floor, averaging 16.0 points and 12.0 rebounds. 

December 10, 2007
Jon Pierce, Tufts
(Junior, Forward - Belmont, Mass.)
Pierce averaged 28.7 points and 8.0 rebounds during a 3-0 week for the Jumbos, adding in eight blocks, five assists and four steals. For the week, Pierce went 34-for-49 from the floor (.694) and 9-for-17 from three-point range (.529). Pierce started off last week with 25 points and 11 rebounds at Keene St. on Tuesday, followed by a game-high 36 points and four boards against Babson on Thursday, the most points by a Tufts player since February of 1997. He closed the week on Saturday with 25 points and nine rebounds against Clark.

December 3, 2007
Artie Cutrone, Colby
(Junior, Point Guard - Garden City, N.Y.)
Cutrone averaged 19.3 points, 5.0 assists, 4.3 steals, and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 55.3 percent from the floor (21-for-31) and 55.6 percent from three-point range (11-for-16) in helping the Mules post a 3-0 mark and remain undefeated this season. Cutrone started the week with 13 points and a career-high 11 assists in a win over UNE on Monday. He closed out the week by earning MVP honors at the Colby Invitational, scoring 26 points on 9-for-13 shooting in an overtime win over previously-unbeaten Elms on Saturday and 19 points during Sunday's victory over Maine-Farmington.

November 26, 2007
Robert Taylor, Trinity
(Senior, Forward - Dorchester Center, Mass.)
Taylor averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds in a 2-0 week for the Bantams, going 13-for-24 (.542) from the floor over the two games. Taylor had game-highs of 18 points and 14 rebounds in a 65-54 win at Eastern Conn. St. on Tuesday before scoring 16 points and grabbing six rebounds along with dishing out six assists in an 82-75 win over Babson on Sunday.

November 19, 2007
Charles Stone, Connecticut College
(Senior, Forward - Hackensack, N.J.)
Stone came away with MVP honors at the Babson Invitational over the weekend, leading his Camels to victories over host Babson and St. Lawrence. Stone averaged 16.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and three blocks in the two wins, connecting on 60 percent of his shots (12-for-20).

Chris Shalvoy, Williams
(Senior, Guard - Rochester, N.Y.)
Shalvoy was named the MVP of the Rose City Classic, guiding the Ephs to a 2-0 mark and the tournament title by averaging 18.0 points per game on 61.9 percent shooting (13-for-21) and a 57.1 percent conversion rate from behind the arc (8-for-14). Shalvoy also added six assists and four steals on the weekend.