INDIANAPOLIS – With only one or two more games remaining for teams in the regular season, the playoff picture is coming into focus as Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week honors were named on Monday.
No. 8-ranked Findlay has officially clinched the top seed in the conference tournament and at least a share of the regular-season title. The Oilers opened the NCAA DII Midwest Region rankings in third only behind Bellarmine and Lewis.
UF has won nine straight and will host a first-round quarterfinal game in the conference tournament.
Also on a nine-game win streak is Walsh and the Cavaliers picked up their 20th win of the season following their fierce rivalry against Malone.
Hillsdale, Cedarville, Ohio Dominican and Lake Erie, have locked in their postseason bids leaving Kentucky Wesleyan, Alderson Broaddus and Malone, battling for the final two seeds.
A three-way tie at 11-11 could still form between the Battlers, Panthers and Pioneers, at the end of the regular-season conference standings.
Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week
Sterling Christy
Walsh
Forward
RS Junior
Hagerstown, MD (Williamsport HS)
At 6-7 220, Christy makes life very difficult for opponents with his defensive versatility as the Cavaliers continue to roll through the regular season.
While Darryl Straughter and JT Shumate will tend to steal the spotlight with their impressive scoring numbers, Christy is very valuable component to head coach Jeff Young’s success in the program.
For an NBA comparison, think of Andre Iguodala, Trevor Ariza or PJ Tucker. Guys that tend to fly under the radar but do everything exceptionally well to contribute to a win.
Christy had all of his talents on display in the Cavaliers’ lone game of the week, a victory in the 55th Annual Mayor’s Cup, the crosstown rivalry between Walsh and Malone.
Christy posted close to triple-double numbers with 19 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, in 36 minutes on the floor. He also added two steals and a blocked shot while shooting 7-of-10 from the field.
Christy is virtually averaging a double-double in 27 games played this season with 13.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. He is also shooting well over 57 percent from the floor and is the team’s top passing option with 92 assists.
Christy also leads Walsh in blocks with 37 and steals with 26.