The heroics of UC Irvine point guard Alex Young (Phoenix, Ore./Phoenix HS) led him to Big West Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honors.
Young, a 6-1 junior, knocked down the game-winning basket with 1.7 seconds left to give the Anteaters a 72-70 win over Green Bay in the championship game of the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas. Green Bay was ranked No. 4 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
Selected the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, Young finished the game with 18 points, four rebounds, eight assists and a steal. The eight assists represented the second-highest total in his career.
Young made 5-of-11 floor shots for the game, including 3-of-5 from three-point range, and sank all but one of his six free throw attempts.
UCI improved to 6-5 on the year.
Others nominated: Ridge Shipley (Cal Poly); Alex Harris (Cal State Fullerton); Stephan Hicks (CSUN); Mike Caffey (Long Beach State); Corey Hawkins (UC Davis)