VILLANOVA, Pa. ââ'¬" Freshman guard Jalen Brunson (Lincolnshire, Ill.) and senior forward Daniel Ochefu were both honored for their work in a 3-0 effort last week by the Wildcats.

Brunson, who averaged 15.3 ppg over three games despite being limited to 17 minutes on New Year's Eve against Xavier by a virus, is this week's BIG EAST Freshman of the Week. He scored a season-high 22 points in a 77-55 win over Penn to start the week and ended it with a 15 point effort, including a pair of big second half 3-pointers, to wrap it up.

Meanwhile, Ochefu was named Philadelphia Big Five Player of the Week and to the BIG EAST Honor Roll.

Ochefu was just as impressive, connecting on 18-of-20 (.900) field goal attempts over the three games to move his season field goal percentage above 66 percent. In the win at Creighton he contributed 19 points to go with seven rebounds and opened the week with a double-double against the Quakers (12 points, 10 boards).

In other news on Monday, the Wildcats climbed in both national polls after their big week. Villanova rose from No. 16 to No. 11 in the Associated Press writers' poll and from No. 16 to No. 13 in the USA Today Coaches poll.

Villanova returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Seton Hall in a clash of 2-0 BIG EAST teams at the Pavilion at 7 p.m. (FS1 and 610 Sports Radio WTEL).

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