DALLAS – Following two-straight wins on the week, Old Dominion junior Kalu Ezikpe was named the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the first time of his career, the league announced on Monday. Additionally, Middle Tennessee’s Teafale Lenard, Jr., was selected as the C-USA Freshman of the Week for the fourth time on the year. The 2021-22 C-USA Players of the Week awards are presented by Surf & Turf Golf and are voted on by the league’s men’s basketball communications directors.
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KALU EZIKPE, OLD DOMINION
JUNIOR, F, 6-8, LAWRENCEVILLE, GA.
Ezikpe averaged a double-double in a 2-0 week for Old Dominion, with 15.5 points and 12.0 rebounds. He opened the week by recording his third double-double of the season with 17 points and a career-high 17 rebounds in a win over Florida Atlantic, going 5-of-9 from the field, 7-of-9 from the FT line and added two assists. Against FIU, he was once again a presence inside, scoring 14 points and pulling down seven boards while dishing out three assists. This is the first weekly award for Ezikpe and the first player of the week award for Old Dominion since 2020.
 
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
TEAFALE LENARD, JR., MIDDLE TENNESSEE
FRESHMAN, G, 6-7, SNYDER, TEXAS
Lenard's 25 points this week equaled his highest three-game total this season. In addition to 12 rebounds, six blocks and three steals, he earned the No. 8 play on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays Thursday night. The freshman scored nine points, added four rebounds and three blocks in a win over UTEP and scored seven against Marshall. In the East Division clinching win over WKU, Lenard went 4-of-7 for nine points in 16 minutes while pulling down five rebounds. This is the freshman’s fourth weekly honor of the season.
 
2021-22 WINNERS
Player of the Week
N15      Dayvion McKnight, WKU
N22      Tevin Brewer, FIU
N29      Kenneth Lofton, Jr., LA Tech
D6        Kenneth Lofton, Jr., LA Tech
D13      Taevion Kinsey, Marshall
D20     Camron Justice, WKU
D27      Jahmir Young, Charlotte
J3        Cobe Williams, LA Tech
J10       Carl Pierre, Rice
J17       Jordan Walker, UAB
J24      Jordan Walker, UAB
J31       Souley Boum, UTEP
F7        Jordan Walker, UAB
F14       Josh Jefferson, Middle Tennessee
F21       Dayvion McKnight, WKU
F28      Kalu Ezikpe, Old Dominion
 
Freshman of the Week
N15      Aly Khalifa, Charlotte
N22      Teafale Lenard, Jr., Middle Tennessee
N29      Rashad Bolden, Southern Miss
D6        Aly Khalifa, Charlotte
D13      Denver Jones, FIU
D20     Kevin Kalu, UTEP
D27      Rashad Bolden, Southern Miss
J3        Aaron Scott, North Texas
J10       Aaron Scott, North Texas
J17       Teafale Lenard, Jr., Middle Tennessee
J24      Aaron Scott, North Texas
J31       Aly Khalifa, Charlotte
F7        Aly Khalifa, Charlotte
F14       Teafale Lenard, Jr., Middle Tennessee
F21       Aly Khalifa, Charlotte
F28      Teafale Lenard, Jr., Middle Tennessee