Feb. 19, 2003
FAIRFAX, Va. - George Mason University's Jesse Young has been named the men's basketball Pioneer Electronics Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week for the week ending Feb. 16, the league announced Monday.
It is the first such honor for Young this season and third time overall he has received the award. He was named CAA Player of the twice during the 2001-02 season on Jan. 6, 2002 and Feb. 17, 2002.
Young averaged 15.5 points and 15.0 rebounds to lead George Mason to conference wins over Hofstra (70-54) and William & Mary (60-43) last week. The 6-10 senior forward recorded double-doubles in both contests, getting 16 points and a career-high 18 rebounds against the Pride, and netting 15 points and a team-high 12 boards at W&M. For the week, Young shot 62.5 percent from the floor and 84.6 percent from the free throw line.
This season, the Peterborough, Ontario native is third on the team in scoring average with 12.3 points per game and he leads the Patriots in rebounding with 8.4 boards per outing. He connects from the floor at a 47.3 percent clip and is third on the squad in free throw percentage at 75.9 percent.
Young is ranked in the top 20 in five CAA statistical categories including scoring (15th), rebounding (4th), field goal percentage (9th), free throw percentage (12th), and blocked shots (0.67bpg, 12th).
He has been averaging a double-double over the last 11 games with 13.8 points and 10.5 rebounds. He has scored in double figures in nine of the last 11 contests and collected double digits in rebounding four times, including a career-best 18 boards against Hofstra, Feb. 13. Young has totaled three double-doubles in the past four games and has five this season. Young has started 20 of 21 games this year and has scored in double figures 14 times.
Young scored his 1,000th career point on his first basket in Mason's win over Hofstra, and now has 1,030 for his career, becoming the 23rd Mason player to earn more than 1,000 career points. With his 664 career rebounds, he is the 12th player with at least 1,000 points and over 500 rebounds. Young ranks ninth all-time in career rebounds and is 21st all-time in scoring.
George Mason is 14-9 overall in 2002-03 and is tied for third-place in the conference standings with a 9-5 mark. The Patriots are at conference-leading UNC Wilmington Wednesday at 7 p.m.
