NEW YORK - AJ Staton-McCray from Seton Hall and Acaden Lewis from Villanova were selected to receive BIG EAST Men's Basketball weekly honors.  Staton-McCray shined for the Pirates last week, averaging 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 2.7 steals in a 2-1 week, leading SHU to third place at the Maui Invitational.  Lewis earned his second conference weekly award after tallying 20 points, three rebounds, four assists, and two steals in a win for Villanova.
 
BIG EAST Player of the Week
AJ Staton-McCray, Seton Hall, G, Gr.
Staton-McCray led Seton Hall to a 2-1 record en route to a third place finish at the Maui Invitational.  The graduate student averaged 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 2.7 steals per game.  The 6-4 guard connected on better than 58% from the floor (21-36) and 47% from behind the arc (9-19).  In a win over No. 23/22 N.C. State, Staton-McCray scored a game-high 22 points (7-11 FG) and grabbed eight rebounds.  He tallied 17 points, two boards, two assists, and four steals in a two-point loss to USC, before finishing with 20 points, four rebounds, two assists, and three steals in a victory over Washington State.
 
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Acaden Lewis, Villanova, G, Fr.
Lewis earned his second weekly BIG EAST accolade of the season, scoring 20 points to go along with three rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 29 minutes in Villanova's lone contest last week - a home win over ODU.  The freshman guard connected on 8-of-12 from the floor, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.  For the season, Lewis ranks second in the league - and fourth nationally among freshman - at 5.2 assists per game. 
 
BIG EAST Honor Roll
Michael Ajayi, Butler, F, Gr.
Ajayi tallied 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a blocked shot in Butler's win over Wright State.  The graduate student's streak of six consecutive double-doubles to start the season was snapped, but he continues to rank third nationally in rebounding (11.9 rpg). 
 
Malachi Smith, UConn, G, Jr.
Smith was outstanding in Connecticut's win over No. 13/15 Illinois at Madison Square Garden, coming off the bench to score 14 points and dish out nine assists in 23 minutes of action.  The Bronx-based guard connected on 3-of-3 from beyond the arc and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe.
 
Nigel James Jr., Marquette, G, Fr.
James shined for Marquette this week against Oklahoma.  The freshman guard had a season-high 20 points, three rebounds, and four assists in 30 minutes against the Sooners in Chicago.  Since entering the starting lineup for the Golden Eagles, James is averaging 13.4 points per game.
 
Tyler Perkins, Villanova, F/G, Gr.
Perkins led the Wildcats with a season-high 21 points in a home win over ODU.  Perkins connected on 8-of-13 field goal attempts, including 3-of-4 from long-distance.  The 6-4 guard also tallied seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 29 minutes.
 
Filip Borovicanin, Xavier, F, Sr.
Borovicanin posted his second double-double of the season, scoring 10 points and grabbing a career-best 15 rebounds against Texas A&M-CC.  The 15 boards were the most by a Xavier player since the 2021-22 season. He added five assists, two steals, and two blocks in the win.