SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Citadel’s Zane Najdawi has been named the Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for all contests from Jan. 9-15. The award is selected by the league office.

Najdawi averaged 29.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 blocked shots per game as the Bulldogs dropped a contest to Samford before downing Chattanooga in overtime. He shot 82.8 percent from the floor for the week, connecting on 24 of his 29 field-goal attempts, and was 9-for-12 from the free-throw line (75 percent).

The junior forward from Midlothian, Virginia, scored 21 points and pulled down five rebounds in The Citadel’s 107-91 loss to Samford on Thursday. Najdawi dished off three assists and was 9-for-12 from the floor, including a 9-for-10 mark from inside the 3-point arc. He was 3-for-5 from the free-throw line.

Two days later, Najdawi scored a career-high 37 points in the Bulldogs’ 110-101, overtime win over Chattanooga. He went 15-for-17 from the floor (88.2 percent), grabbed six rebounds, blocked three shots and had another three assists.

The weekly award is the third of Najdawi’s career.

The Citadel (6-11, 1-4 SoCon) returns to action Thursday at UNCG (12-5, 3-1) for a 7 p.m. contest at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Other nominees: Desonta Bradford (ETSU), Stephon Jelks (Mercer), Marvin Smith (UNCG), Triston Chambers (Samford), Makale Foreman (Chattanooga), Mike Amius (Western Carolina) and Fletcher Magee (Wofford).

2017-18 Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Players of the Week
Nov. 14 Ria’n Holland, Mercer
Nov. 21 Fletcher Magee, Wofford
Nov. 28 Devin Sibley, Furman
Dec. 5 Francis Alonso, UNCG
Dec. 12 Fletcher Magee, Wofford
Dec. 19 Marvin Smith, UNCG
Jan. 2 Cameron Jackson, Wofford
Jan. 9 Peter Jurkin, ETSU
Jan. 16 Zane Najdawi, The Citadel

-www.SoConSports.com-