Sophomore Guard Julius Brown Named MAC West Division Player of W - WICU12/WSEE Erie, PA News, Sports, Weather and Events

Sophomore Guard Julius Brown Named MAC West Division Player of Week

TOLEDO - Sophomore guard Julius Brown has been named the Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week, the league office announced on Monday. It is the third time in Brown's career he has received the weekly award and the fourth time this season a Rocket has been honored.

Brown guided Toledo to a 2-0 start in conference play for the first time since 2007 by nearly recording a double-double for the week, as he averaged 14.0 points and 9.5 assists per game while also grabbing 6.5 rebounds per contest. Brown was also perfect in nine trips to the charity stripe and nearly flawless directing the Rocket offense with just two turnovers.

Brown helped UT open the week with a 70-58 win at Kent State in its MAC opener by dishing out 10 assists (with just one turnover) to go along with seven points and six boards. The victory was the Rockets' first at the M.A.C. Center since the 1999-2000 season and also snapped the Golden Flashes' 31-game win streak against the MAC West Division.

In UT's 76-72 (OT) win over Central Michigan, Brown tallied 21 points, nine assists and a career-best seven rebounds with just one miscue in a career-high 40 minutes. Brown scored 15 of his points following the opening stanza and put the Rockets ahead to stay, 71-70, by burying an 18-foot jumper with 1:03 remaining. After a Chippewa miss, he knocked down two free throws with 31.1 ticks left for a 73-70 lead. He then sealed the victory with two more free throws and converted all six of his attempts in overtime.

The Rockets (6-7, 2-0 MAC) will be on the road for two games this week at Western Michigan (Jan. 16) and Ohio (Jan. 19) before returning home to host Akron (Jan. 23) and Bowling Green (Jan. 26) next week.