Beverley Named SEC Freshman of the Week

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas guard Patrick Beverley has been named the Southeastern Conference’s Freshman of the Week for the third time this season.

In UA’s games against Mississippi State and Ole Miss, the Chicago native averaged 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals while shooting 52.6 percent from the field (10-19), including 53.3 percent from three-point range (8-15). He was also five-of-six at the free throw line (.833).

He had game highs of 24 points and four steals in the win over Ole Miss, along with five rebounds and five assists. He was seven-of-13 shooting, including six-of-11 on threes. At MSU, he had nine points on three-of-six shooting, including going two-of-four on threes. He also had three rebounds.

For the season, he is averaging 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.0 steals. He leads the team in scoring, steals, three-point shooting (.444), free-throw shooting (.830), three-point goals per game (2.27) and minutes played (891), while ranking second in assists, and third in rebounding and overall field goal percentage (.478).

He ranks first among all SEC freshmen in scoring and steals, and is first in field goal percentage among players with at least 185 attempts, three-point percentage among players with at least 75 attempts and free-throw percentage among players with at least 60 attempts. He is also second in assists and fourth in rebounding.

Overall in the SEC, Beverley ranks among the league leaders in a league-high nine of 13 categories. He is 14th in scoring, 27th in rebounding, 14th in assists, third in steals, third in three-point percentage, third in free-throw percentage, seventh in three-point goals per game, 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio and fourth in minutes played.

Beverley earned his first SEC award the opening week of the season when he was also named Dick Vitale’s “Diaper Dandy of the Week” after scoring 29 points in his Razorback debut against Southeast Missouri State.

His second award came two weeks later after earning all-tournament honors at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., when he averaged 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.0 steals in helping Arkansas win the team title.

Junior guard Gary Ervin earned overall SEC Player of the Week honors in January after averaging 16.0 points, 8.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals while shooting 70.6 percent from the floor (12-17) and turning the ball over just once in the wins over Alabama and Tulsa.

The Razorbacks, 16-10 overall and 5-7 in the SEC, travel to Auburn for a 7 p.m. non-televised game on Wednesday before playing host to Tennessee at 12:05 p.m. on Saturday in a game televised by Lincoln Financial Sports.