Feb. 2, 2009
Greensboro, N.C. – Georgia Tech’s Gani Lawal and Clemson’s K.C. Rivers have been named Co-ACC Players of the Week while Wake Forest’s Al-Farouq Aminu has been selected ACC Rookie of the Week.
Lawal scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in leading the Yellow Jackets to their first ACC win of the season Saturday, a 76-74 victory over No. 6 Wake Forest. The Norcross, Ga., sophomore was seven-of-10 from the floor and 11-of-14 from the free throw line. Lawal has 10 straight games with 10-or-more rebounds and leads the ACC with 13 double-doubles.
Lawal is Tech’s leading scorer at 16.1 points per game, and leads the ACC in rebound average (10.4 per game) and field goal percentage (56.2 pct.).
Rivers tallied a team-high 29 points in the Tigers’ 86-82 win at Virginia Tech Thursday evening. The Charlotte, N.C. senior hit on 10-of-17 from the floor, including seven-of-10 from behind the arc, pulled down six rebounds and handed out four assists as the 11th-ranked Tigers won for the 18th time in 20 games.
In earning ACC Rookie of the Week honors for the fourth-time this season, Aminu posted back-to-back double-doubles and averaged 16.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals as the Demon Deacons went 1-1, including a defeat of No. 1-ranked Duke on Wednesday. In Wednesday’s 70-68 win over the Blue Devils, Aminu had a team-high 15 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal. In Saturday’s 76-74 loss at Georgia Tech, the Norcross, Ga., freshman turned his eighth double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds to go along with a season-best five steals.
