Jared Savage notches 4th C-USA Player of the Week award for Hilltoppers, WKU ties league record

Redshirt senior wing Jared Savage (2) dribbles inside during the WKU Hilltoppers’ 91-84 win over the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday, Jan. 25 in Diddle Arena.

Elliott Wells

Redshirt senior wing Jared Savage was named Conference USA Player of the Week for the first time in his career after achieving a double-double average for the WKU men’s basketball team in the Lone Star State over the weekend, the league office announced Monday.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 205-pounder was a dominant presence in WKU’s road sweep at Texas-El Paso (13-14, 4-10 C-USA) and Texas-San Antonio (12-15, 6-8 C-USA) over the weekend, averaging 19 points, 12.5 rebounds, two steals and 1.5 assists in 41.5 minutes per game for the Hilltoppers.

Savage shot 50% from the field, made 8-of-15 3-pointers (53.3%) and 8-of-9 free throws for the week, all of which came while battling players bigger than him as an undersized 4-spot player.

Savage was just a rebound shy of a double-double in 38 minutes of action against the Miners, as the Bowling Green native tallied 14 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Savage also made four 3-pointers in that game on nine attempts, helping the Hilltoppers defeat UTEP 67-62

The senior had a season-high 24 points and a career-high 16 rebounds in a full 45 minutes in WKU’s 77-73 overtime victory at UTSA on Saturday, knocking down 4-of-6 3-pointers and 8-of-9 free throws.

Savage’s award marks the fourth different Hilltopper to be named C-USA Player of the Week on the year, tying Alabama-Birmingham’s 2010-11 squad for the most in C-USA history.

Savage followed in the footsteps of Dec. 2 C-USA Player of the Week Charles BasseyJan. 6 C-USA Co-Player of the Week Carson Williams and Jan. 20 C-USA Co-Player of the Week Taveion Hollingsworth.

Jordan Rawls was also named the Nov. 25 C-USA Freshman of the Week, meaning five total Hilltoppers have been honored with a C-USA weekly award throughout this season.

Reporter Elliott Wells can be reached at [email protected]. Follow Elliott on Twitter at @ewells5.