Sophomore center Charles Bassey was named Conference USA Player of the Week for the first time in his career after averaging a double-double in two neutral-site games for the WKU men’s basketball team, the league office announced Monday.  

The Lagos, Nigeria, native was the 2019 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, 2019 Freshman of the Year and earned Freshman of the Week honors a record-tying 10 times last season, but Bassey had never earned the top player nod before this week.

The 6-foot-11, 230-pounder averaged a solid 19 points and 10.5 rebounds across WKU’s 69-64 victory over Fordham (5-2) on Nov. 25 and WKU’s 71-54 loss to then-No.2 Louisville (7-0), which is now the No. 1 team in the country, on Black Friday. 

Against Fordham, Bassey scored his season-high of 24 points while corralling 12 rebounds and shooting a perfect 10-of-10 from the charity stripe to close the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam.

Bassey and the Hilltoppers returned to action on Black Friday against the in-state rival Cardinals, and the preseason watch list candidate for the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award scored 14 points and picked up nine rebounds.

He also made 12-of-12 free throws overall during the week and added two assists, two steals and two blocks for WKU. 

Through eight games, Bassey is just one of two players across the country to record at least 124 points, 77 rebounds, 12 blocks and eight steals this season.

After freshman guard Jordan Rawls received Freshman of the Week honors on Nov. 25, Bassey is now the second Hilltopper player to receive a weekly award this season.

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