INDIANAPOLIS – The first 2019 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week selection was announced on Monday afternoon. 
 
At 12-2, No. 23 Findlay remains the lone nationally-ranked program from the league. An intriguing storyline is forming at the top with UF in first and Ohio Dominican in second. Walsh is right there in the mix while Hillsdale and Cedarville are both tied for fourth. 
 
Cedarville started the week with a share of first place and the Yellow Jackets are forging through a seven-game road trip that began on Dec. 14. 
 
Kentucky Wesleyan continues to show it is not the No. 13 pick in the preseason coaches poll behind a revamped roster and sideline savvy from first-year head coach Drew Cooper. 
 
Lake Erie and Alderson Broaddus are also tied and Malone also has three wins in league play like the Storm and Battlers. 
 
 
Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week
JT Shumate
Walsh
Forward
Freshman
Newark, OH (Newark HS)
 
Shumate had an impressive two-game exhibition in league play and is now a two-time selection with averages of 25 points, 6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, while shooting 50 percent from the field.
 
Versus Tiffin, the freshman forward contributed 65 percent on 9-for-14 from the field. He had a game high of 20 points and added three rebounds with an assist and a blocked shot in 27 minutes on the floor. 
 
Shumate followed up with a career high 30-point outburst against first-place Cedarville in an exciting conference match-up. 
 
He was one rebound shy of a double-double and lead all players with 30 points on an efficient 10-of-17 shooting from the floor. He made a trio of three-pointers. His stat line was rounded out with nine boards and six assists, in the Cavaliers win. 
  
Shumate has led his team in scoring in 8 games already this season. In his first year with the league, he is averaging 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. 
 
Shumate ranks third in scoring and is also top 13 in rebounding, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, three pointers made, and blocked shots.
 
With the two wins, Walsh is now 10-5 overall and positioned third in the conference standings.