CSUN junior Kendall Smith’s (Antioch, Calif./UNLV) Matador debut led to a pair of victories and his selection as the Big West Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.
The UNLV transfer suited up for the first time in a Matador uniform after sitting out a year due to NCAA transfer rules, and responded by averaging 17.5 points in victories over Portland State and Bethesda University.
In Smith debut, the 6-3 guard scored 13 points with three rebounds, two assists and a steal to help CSUN outduel the Vikings in a 77-71 triumph on Thursday. It represented CSUN’s first non-conference road win in two years.
Smith had an all-around impressive game in Sunday’s 79-49 rout of Bethesda, posting 22 points, two rebounds, four assists and three steals. He shot 7-of-16 from the field and knocked down a pair of three-pointers.
Both Smith’s 22 points and three steals were Division I career-highs.
Others nominated: Brian Bennett (Cal Poly); Travis Hammonds (Long Beach State); Mamadou Ndiaye (UC Irvine); Jaylen Bland (UC Riverside)