Averaging 23.5 points in two conference victories, UC Santa Barbara junior Michael Bryson (Sacramento, Calif./Foothill HS) collected Big West Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honors.
Bryson took hold of the scoring and rebounding reins in the absence of reigning Big West Player of the Year Alan Williams, who missed his sixth and seven straight games with a shoulder injury.
It was Bryson who helped the Gauchos improve to 5-2 without the services of Williams as UCSB knocked off Long Beach State at home, 70-55, and CSUN on the road, 65-57.
The 6-4 guard notched 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting against the 49ers. He knocked down a trio of three-pointers and hit all but one of his seven free throw attempts. Bryson also corralled a game-high nine rebounds.
In avenging an earlier loss this season to the Matadors, the Gauchos leaned on Bryson once again for offense, and he responded with a season-high 26 points and a team-high seven rebounds. He made 9-of-14 floor shots, including 5-of-7 from three-point range, with the five three-point makes tying a season-best.
Bryson has scored 20 or more in three straight and four of the last five games.
Others nominated: Joel Awich (Cal Poly); Josh Fox (UC Davis); Jaylen Bland (UC Riverside); Negus Webster-Chan (Hawai‘i)