SYRACUSE, N.Y. - University of Cincinnati junior guard Sean Kilpatrick has been named the BIG EAST Player of the Week the league announced on Monday.
Kilpatrick scored a career-high 36 points in Cincinnati’s 71-69 overtime win over No. 25 Marquette on Saturday at Fifth Third Arena. It marked the most points in a game by a Bearcat since UC joined the league prior to the 2005-06 season and most since Leonard Stokes poured in 39 points in a 105-101 double-overtime loss to UCLA in the second round of the 2002 NCAA tournament.
The Yonkers, N.Y. native made 11 of 23 from the field against Marquette, including five three-pointers. He was 9 of 10 from the free-throw line. The effort marked Kilpatrick’s second 30-plus point game of the season (32 vs. Iowa State on Nov. 23) and his sixth 20-plus point game of the season.
Kilpatrick also netted 18 points with a trio of three-pointers and eight rebounds in UC’s 75-70 win at DePaul on Jan. 15.
For the week, Kilpatrick averaged 27 points and five rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field (15 of 30), 44.4 percent from three-point range (8 of 18) and 80 percent from the foul line (16 of 20).
The player of the week accolade is Kilpatrick’s second of the season. He also earned the distinction on Nov. 26 after his effort against Iowa State. The league also has named Kilpatrick to the weekly honor roll on three other occasions this season.
Kilpatrick was named to the Midseason Top 25 List for the John R. Wooden Award on Jan. 10 and is also one of 50 college players named to the Naismith Award Watch List. He was tabbed a preseason first team All-BIG EAST Conference selection by the league’s coaches.
Kilpatrick and Cincinnati (16-3, 4-2 BIG EAST) play at highly ranked Syracuse (17-1, 5-0 BIG EAST) today at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN Big Monday. The game is also available on 700 WLW-AM.
