Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Muscala Named Oscar Robertson National Player of Week
1/18/2011 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 18, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell sophomore center Mike Muscala (Roseville, Minn./Roseville) added another impressive award on Tuesday when the U.S. Basketball Writers Association selected him as the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Jan. 16. Muscala, who was named the Patriot League Player of the Week on Monday after two terrific performances against American and Holy Cross, is the second straight Patriot League player to claim the award after American's Vlad Moldoveanu won it the previous week.
The USBWA's weekly honor is presented by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and is handed out each Tuesday through Feb. 22 this season. Previous winners this season include BYU's Jimmer Fredette, Texas A&M's Khris Middleton, Kentucky's Doron Lamb and Illinois' Demetri McCamey.
This is the second season that the USBWA has selected a national player of the week. The weekly Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week is added to the Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list, which will be released at mid-season. Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation's oldest award and the only one named after a former player.
Muscala led the red-hot Bison to two more victories last week, averaging 28.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocked shots in the wins over American and Holy Cross.
Muscala's fantastic week culminated with his tie-breaking shot with 1.4 seconds left in Bucknell's 74-72 win over Holy Cross on Sunday at Sojka Pavilion. Against the Crusaders, Muscala finished with 23 points, a career-high 13 rebounds, three assists and three blocks. He had 11 rebounds by halftime and scored 15 of his 23 points in a tight second half.
Last Wednesday on the road against Patriot League preseason favorite American, Muscala went for a career-high 33 points (23 in the second half) along with 10 rebounds and five blocked shots. He became just the second player in program history to record at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a game, joining Hall of Famer Mike Butts.
For the season, Muscala leads the team in scoring (15.6), rebounding (6.8), blocked shots (1.5) and field-goal percentage (.526), and he is also shooting 82.9 percent from the foul line. Among the Patriot League leaders, Muscala ranks sixth in scoring, fourth in rebounding and field-goal percentage, sixth in free-throw percentage and second in blocks.
Bucknell is off to a 3-0 start in Patriot League play and has sole possession of first place atop the league standings. In those three games, Muscala is averaging 25.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks while shooting 60 percent from the field.
The Bison have won six games in a row and 10 of their last 11 to improve to 12-7 on the season. They have two more home games coming up this week: Wednesday vs. Lafayette and Saturday vs. Colgate.
