• UC Irvine junior Collin Welp has earned the Big West Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award for December 21-28.

• Welp notched his first career Player of the Week honor after helping the Anteaters start 2-0 in Big West play with a home sweep of UC Santa Barbara.

• Welp, the 2019-20 Big West Best Sixth Player, is entrenched in UCI’s starting lineup this season. The 6-9 forward averaged 13.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the two wins.

• He shot 44.4% (12-of-27) from the field while adding two steals and a blocked shot to his stat line.

• Welp posted 11 points, eight rebounds and two assists in UCI’s 75-56 win on Sunday as UCI won its Big West opener for the third straight season and its sixth consecutive conference home opener.

• The Seattle, Wash. native narrowly missed a double-double in Monday’s rematch, a 73-69 Anteater triumph, collecting team-highs of 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists to go along with a steal and one blocked shot. He made 7-of-14 floor shots.

• UCI has now won six in a row against UCSB at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters have won 30 of their last 34 Big West regular season games over the last two-plus seasons.

OTHERS NOMINATED: De’Monte Buckingham (CSU Bakersfield); TJ Starks (CSUN); Jake Killingsworth (UC San Diego)