SPARTANBURG, S.C. – VMI center Jake Stephens has been named the Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week presented by GEICO for all contests from Feb. 7-13 after averaging 24.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game on the week. The award is selected by the league office.
 
Stephens opened his week with 27 points and 10 rebounds in VMI’s 85-79 win over Mercer on Thursday, which extended the Keydets’ SoCon winning streak to four games, their longest stretch of conference wins since 2013-14, when they were still members of the Big South Conference. Stephens went 7-for-11 (.636) from the floor, including hitting four of his six 3-point tries (.667) and went 9-for-12 (.750) from the free-throw line. The senior from Bunker Hill, West Virginia, also dished off five assists without a turnover and blocked one shot.
 
Two days later, Stephens scored 21 points and pulled down 17 rebounds (15 defensive) in an 83-79 setback to military rival The Citadel. Stephens was even better from the floor Saturday, going 9-for-14 (.643), and went 2-for-4 from long range. He had two assists, two blocked shots and a steal as he nearly helped the Keydets overcome a 19-point second-half deficit.
 
The double-doubles were the league-best ninth and 10^th of the season for Stephens, who now has 16 in his career.
 
The player of the week award is Stephens’s fourth of the season (Dec. 13, Jan. 3 and Jan. 17), matching Chattanooga’s Malachi Smith for the most in the league this season and the most for a SoCon player in a single season since Davidson’s Stephen Curry claimed the award eight times in 2008-09.>
 
VMI (15-11, 8-6 SoCon) hits the road for a two-game swing at Samford (16-9, 6-7) on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET and at league-leading Chattanooga (22-5, 12-2) on Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
Other nominees: Hayden Brown (The Citadel), Ledarrius Brewer (ETSU), Jalen Slawson (Furman), Felipe Haase (Mercer), Kaleb Hunter (UNCG), Jermaine Marshall (Samford), Malachi Smith (Chattanooga), Nicholas Robinson (Western Carolina) and B.J. Mack (Wofford).
 
2021-22 SoCon Men’s Basketball Players of the Week presented by GEICO
Nov. 15             Mike Bothwell, Sr., G, Furman
Nov. 22             Malachi Smith, So., G, Chattanooga
Nov. 29             Max Klesmit, So., G, Wofford
Dec. 6              Jalen Slawson, Sr., F, Furman
Dec. 13             Jake Stephens, Sr., C, VMI
Dec. 20             Malachi Smith, So., G, Chattanooga
Dec. 27             Ques Glover, So., G, Samford
Jan. 3               Jake Stephens, Sr., C, VMI
Jan. 10             Malachi Smith, So., G, Chattanooga
Jan. 17             Jake Stephens, Sr., C, VMI
Jan. 24             Malachi Smith, So., G, Chattanooga
Jan. 31             Jordan King, So., G, ETSU
Feb. 7               Nicholas Robinson, Gr., G, Western Carolina
Feb. 14             Jake Stephens, Sr., C, VMI