JUNIOR (2020-21): Started in all 28 games he appeared in for WKU… Named USBWA Third Team All-American, USA Today Third Team All-American, AP Honorable Mention All-American, Basketball Times Second Team All-American and Lute Olson All-American… Became WKU’s first USBWA All-American in 50 years… Was one of 25 finalists for Lute Olson National Player of the Year, one of 15 finalists of the Wooden Award National Ballot, one of five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award and a semifinalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year… Averaged a double-double of 17.6 points and 11.6 rebounds in 30.4 minutes per contest… Blocked 3.1 shots per game on average, with a season high of seven against Memphis on Nov. 26… Shot 59% from the field, including shooting 18 of 59 (30.5%) from beyond the arc… Made 88 of 116 (75.9%) from the free throw line… Finished the season in the national rankings at second in double-doubles (18), second in total rebounds (325), second in total dunks (70), fourth in blocks per game (3.1), fourth in total blocks (87), fifth in rebounds per game (11.6) and 12th in field goal percentage (59%)… Scored a career-high 29 points with 14 rebounds and three blocks against Gardner-Webb on Dec. 10… Finished his career on multiple WKU career lists including fifth in blocked shots (184), fifth on double-doubles (39) and tied with Dwight Smith for 35th on the all-time scoring list with 1,142 points… Finished the season on individual season lists for WKU as well including second in blocked shots (87) and fifth in double-doubles (18)… Named to C-USA All-Tournament Team and All-C-USA First Team… Selected as C-USA Player and Defensive Player of the Year, becoming fourth player in league’s history to win both in same season… Named C-USA Player of the Week on Nov. 30, Dec. 14, Dec. 21, Jan. 11, Jan. 18, Jan. 25 and March 7, breaking the C-USA record for Player of the Week awards in a single season, passing Kenyon Martin (Cincinnati, 2000) with seven total… Tied for second-highest career Player of the Week awards in the 26-year history of Conference USA at eight in his career… Named Lute Olson National Player of the Week on Jan. 18 after two wins at Marshall… Finished fifth in the league in scoring, first in total rebounds, rebounds per game and blocked shots, second in field goal percentage, and 10th in free throw percentage… Named to the C-USA All-Academic Team as well as the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team… In the 2021 TOPSY Awards, named Comeback Player of the Year and John O. Oldham Student-Athlete of the Year… Declared for the NBA Draft with an agent on April 1, 2021... Named to C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll in Spring 2021.
SOPHOMORE (2019-20): Started and appeared in the first 10 games of the season prior to suffering a tibial plateau fracture in his left leg against Arkansas on Dec. 7… Had season-ending surgery in Houston on Dec. 10… Climbed up to ninth on WKU’s career blocks list with 97… Named C-USA Player of the Week on Dec. 2 after averaging 19 points in 33.5 minutes in games against Fordham and No. 2 Louisville… Named to U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team… Scored season-high 24 points, shooting 10-of-10 at the charity stripe, with 12 rebounds against Fordham on Nov. 25… Had career highs of four assists and three steals to go with 19 points and 12 rebounds against Bowling Green on Nov. 22… Selected to preseason watch lists for Naismith Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, Robertson Trophy… Named Preseason First-Team All-American by Lindy’s and Street & Smith’s… Named to C-USA Preseason All-Conference Team.
FRESHMAN (2018-19): Named to President's List in the fall 2018 semester... Named C-USA Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, becoming second player in league history to win both in the same season… Named to All-C-USA First Team, All-Freshman Team and All-Defensive Team… 1 of 5 national finalists, including the only freshman, for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year award… Named to 2019 Kyle Macy Freshman All-America team... Chosen to the NABC All-District 11 First Team… Selected as C-USA Freshman of the Week 10 times, tying the league record… Named to Myrtle Beach Invitational All-Tournament Team… Started all 34 games and led WKU with 14.6 points, 10 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 31.4 minutes per game… Shot 62.7 percent from the field, 45 percent from 3-point range and 76.9 percent from the free-throw line… Became second freshman in the nation since 1992, along with Kentucky’s Anthony Davis, to average 14 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and shoot 60 percent from the field… Also 1 of 2 freshmen in the country with Davis since 1992 with at least 495 points, 340 rebounds, 81 blocks and 27 steals… Only player in the nation in 2018-19 with 340 rebounds, 81 blocks and 27 steals… Led C-USA with 17 double-doubles, the most ever by a WKU freshman… Also led C-USA in total rebounds and ranked second in rebounds per game and blocks per game… Ranked in the top 30 nationally in double-doubles, field-goal percentage, blocks per game, total blocks, rebounds per game, defensive rebounds per game and total rebounds… Averaged 17.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.4 steals in five games vs. Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ, Arkansas’ Daniel Gafford, UCF’s Tacko Fall, West Virginia’s Sagaba Konate and Washington’s Noah Dickerson… Set new program records for most blocks and most rebounds in a season by a freshman… Ranked second in program history in points by a freshman and third in minutes played by a freshman… Finished third in WKU history for most blocks in a single season and seventh in single-season field-goal percentage… Played the season as one of the top-10 youngest players in the NCAA… Scored 22 points with career-high 18 rebounds in overtime win over UTSA on Jan. 31, grabbing the most rebounds by a WKU freshman since freshmen became eligible to play again in 1972... Tallied 17 points with 17 rebounds in rivalry win against Marshall on Jan. 21… Totaled 21 points, nine rebounds and a career-high five blocks at Arkansas on Dec. 8… Scored 25 points with 10 rebounds, including his first 3-pointer, against UCF on Nov. 18… Totaled 13 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in 31 minutes against West Virginia on Nov. 16… Recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds in his college debut at Washington on Nov. 6.
HIGH SCHOOL: Reclassified into the 2018 class after graduating early… Averaged 19.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.4 blocks, 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game as a junior for Aspire Academy in Louisville… Shot 56.5 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from the 3-point line… Ranked as the No. 6 player in the nation in the 2018 class in the 247Sports Composite rankings and No. 9 by Rivals… Spent first two years at St. Anthony Catholic School in San Antonio, Texas… Earned MaxPreps Freshman All-American honors in 2015-16 after posting 20.2 points, 17.1 rebounds and 5.9 blocks per game… Led St. Anthony to a 32-6 record and a TAPPS 5A state championship.
MISCELLANEOUS: Became first player ever to be named MVP two years in a row at the Pangos All-American Camp… Broke the Nike Hoop Summit record for rebounds with 17 in the World team’s victory over Team USA in April 2018… Also named MVP of the 2018 Basketball Without Borders camp in Los Angeles… Majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Health.
HILLTOPPERS TO WEAR NUMBER 23:
Justin Johnson (2015-18)
Brandon Peters (2011)
Mike Walker (2005-08)
D. Robinson (1999-2002)
Greg Springfield (1998)
John Mathews (1996)
Lorenzo Lockett (1992-93)
Corey Dunn (1991)
Brett McNeal (1986-89)
Tony Roberts (1985)
Darnell Phillips (1982)
Scott Blankenship (1981)
Don Thomas (1978-79)
Mike Gilbert (1974)
Hugh Wilhite (1960-62)
Billy Johnson (1959)
Eric Back (1958)
