DALLAS – Charlotte’s Brice Williams and Rice’s Mekhi Mason earned Conference USA Men’s Basketball weekly honors. The 2022-23 C-USA Players of the Week awards are presented by Blenders Eyewear and are voted on by the league’s sports information directors.
 
Williams put together a career weekend for the 49ers (11-3, 2-1 C-USA) in their home victories over Middle Tennessee and Louisiana Tech, averaging 31 points and five rebounds per game while shooting 78.2 percent from the field (18-23) and 56 percent from three-point range (5-9). He became the first 49er with back-to-back 30-point games since Leemire Goldwire in 2008.
 
Mason grabbed his second Freshman of the Week award of the season after helping Rice (11-3, 2-1 C-USA) to a road sweep at WKU and UTEP. He averaged 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals while connecting on 45.5 percent (10-22) from the field, 40.0 percent (4-10) from three and 83.3 percent (5-6) from the free throw line.
 
Player of the Week – Brice Williams, Charlotte – Guard – Huntersville, N.C.
On Thursday against Middle Tennessee, Williams scored a career-high 31 points on 9-11 shooting and pulled down four rebounds to lead Charlotte to an 82-67 victory over the Blue Raiders, giving Charlotte back-to-back wins over MTSU for the first time in program history. Williams followed up his career day by tying his career high with 31 more points, including 19 in the opening half to push Charlotte past Louisiana Tech, 68-66. With the wins, the 49ers improved their home record to 7-0, matching the program’s best start at home from 2007-08.
 
Freshman of the Week – Mekhi Mason, Rice – Guard – Gilbert, Ariz.
Mason opened the week scoring 10 points and recording a game-high five assists in an 81-78 victory over UTEP, handing the Roadrunners their first home loss of the season. He then led all players with 19 points and a career-high four steals in a 72-67, overtime win at UTEP. Mason leads all C-USA true freshmen with 37 assists this season. His performance helped the Owls to their first road conference sweep since Feb. 6-8, 2020, and their best start to a season since 2003-04.
 
2022-23 C-USA Players of the Week
N14     Luke Frampton, WKU
N21     Alijah Martin, Florida Atlantic
N28     Jordan Walker, UAB
D5       Quincy Olivari, Rice
D12     Dayvion McKnight, WKU
D19     Quincy Olivari, Rice
D26     Abou Ousmane, North Texas
J2        Brice Williams, Charlotte
 
2022-23 C-USA Freshmen of the Week
N14     Jordan Crawford, LA Tech
N21     Dashon Gittens, FIU
N28     Mekhi Mason, Rice
D5       Nick Boyd, Florida Atlantic
D12     DJ Richards, UTSA
D19     DJ Richards, UTSA
D26     Jordan Crawford, LA Tech
J2        Mekhi Mason, Rice