Seton Hall’s Bryce Aiken is taking home ESNY’s Metro College Hoops Player of the Week
This week was our toughest call so far in the 2020-21 college hoops season. It was a monster week for the New York/New Jersey area with Seton Hall beating Texas and Rutgers taking down previously No. 1 ranked Purdue.
Seton Hall took down Rutgers handily in the Garden State Hardwood Classic on Sunday while Iona took down Ivy League favorite Yale.
There were a handful of guys we could have chosen this week. Shavar Reynolds averaged 19.5 points per game for Monmouth in a split with Pittsburgh and St. John’s. Ron Harper Jr. dropped 30 points, 10 rebounds, and one magical buzzer-beater to knock off Purdue. Jared Rhoden is Seton Hall’s best player and he was huge for the Pirates in wins over Texas and Rutgers.
But we have to give Bryce Aiken the Metro College Hoops Player of the Week. The Jersey boy is one of the best sixth men in the country. His 22 points against Rutgers helped pace the Pirates against a suddenly dangerous Rutgers squad.
Although Aiken only scored 10 points on 3-for-12 shooting in the win over Texas, he scored the final five points for the Pirates.
There might be a few guys who put u better stats than Aiken this week, but his points were game-changing in two major victories for the Pirates. It was timely bucket after timely bucket for Aiken.
Seton Hall is one of the best defensive teams in the country. They can beat anyone on any given night with their ability to sit down and defend in the halfcourt.
However, they need to find scoring from somewhere. Rhoden is the team’s leading scorer with 17.8 points per game, but Aiken is second at 11.2.
Injuries kept Aiken down in his last year at Harvard and first year with Seton Hall, but he looks like he’s finally getting comfortable in his home state. This is our first Metro College Hoops Player of the Week from a major conference. The previous three winners were all from the MAAC.
ESNY’s Metro CBB Player of the Week:
- 11/23 — George Papas, G, Monmouth
- 11/30 — Nelly Junior Joseph, F/C, Iona
- 12/7 — Matt Balanc, G, Quinnipiac
- 12/14 — Bryce Aiken, G, Seton Hall
Games to Watch This Week
Tuesday, Dec. 14
Monmouth @ Yale — 7 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Dec. 15
Fairfield @ Fairleigh Dickinson — 7
Saturday, Dec. 18
St. John’s vs. Pittsburgh — 12
Niagara @ Albany — 2
Iona vs. Seton Hall — 3
Rider @ Rutgers — 5
Maris @ Boston University — 5
Buffalo @ Canisius — 5
Saint Peter’s @ Stony Brook — 6:30
Sunday, Dec. 19
Monmouth vs. Colgate — 2
Fairfield @ UMass — 1
Monday, Dec. 20
Manhattan @ Charleston Southern — 7
