W&M News and Notes
- The Tribe won its 18th game on Saturday against Delaware, which ranks 11th in program history. W&M has won 19 or more games on 10 occasions in school annals, including nine 20-win seasons.
- W&M sits in second place in the CAA standings at 10-5. It marks the seventh-straight season that program owns double-digit league victories. The Tribe became the fourth CAA program and only current league member to produce seven-straight seasons of 10 or more CAA wins. VCU holds the league record with 12-straight seasons (2002-12) followed by ODU's nine (2004-12) and George Mason's eight (1999-06). The Tribe owns 10 seasons with 10 or more CAA wins and the school record is 13 set in 1997-98.
- For a league-leading and W&M-record fourth time this season, senior
Nathan Knight was named the CAA player of the Week on Monday after averaging 30.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and five blocked shots per game in the Tribe's wins over Drexel and Delaware. After tallied 28 points, seven rebounds and seven blocked shots vs. the Dragons, he scored a season-high 33 points to go with 12 rebounds vs. Delaware. His seven career CAA Player of the Week honors are also a program record.
- Knight was also selected as the Lute Olson National Player of the Week by CollegeInsider.com for his efforts last week. He was named to both the mid-season watch lists for the Luke Olson National Player of the Year and the Lou Henson Mid-Major National Player of the Year earlier this season.
- Offensively, W&M ranks 24th nationally in 2-point field goal % (54.4), 33rd in effective field goal % (53.4), 45th in field goal % (46.5) and 65th in free throw % (74.2).
- Knight moved up the CAA career records recently. He currently ranks eighth in CAA history in free throws made (525), 10th in blocked shots (216), 14th in scoring (2,071) and 15th in rebounding (932). Knight is nine free throws away from seventh (Delaware's Devon Saddler), three blocks short of ninth (ODU's Cal Bowdler), 46 points shy of 13th place (ODU's Odell Hodge) and 20 rebounds away from 14th (ODU's Alex Loughton).
- Knight leads the country in double-doubles with 21. As of Feb. 19, he also tops the country in player efficiency rating (36.2), total defensive rebounds (228) and 20-point, 10-rebound double-doubles (11). Knight ranks eighth, among players with a 28% or higher usage, in offensive rating according to KenPom.com (115.0).
- On Feb. 13, Knight's list of national accomplishments continued to grow as he was one of 30 players named to the midseason list for the 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men's Player of the Year presented by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. The 10 semifinalists will be announced on March 5, the finalists will be revealed on March 17 and the winner announced on April 5. Knight was selected to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch List by the USBWA on Dec. 6.
- For the second-straight season, Knight was named one of 10 national finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Feb. 7. In 2019, Knight went on to be one of five finalists for the honor, which will be named in March.
- Knight added to his list of accolades on Feb. 5 being named one of 10 national finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes excellence in community, classroom, character and competition. He is only the second Tribe player and first since Quinn McDowell '12 to be named a finalist for the prestigious honor.
- Knight is currently one of only two men's players in the country averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game this season. He would be the first W&M player since Bob Sherwood in 1968 to produce such a season and the first in the CAA since Kenny Sanders in 1988 to do so. He ranks 10th nationally in rebounding (10.9) and 16th in scoring (21.2).
- Freshman
Miguel Ayesa was a perfect 4-of-4 from 3 in the win at Delaware on Jan. 16. It tied a school record, which Ayesa equaled at Wofford as well. He is one of only two players in W&M history, along with Daniel Dixon '17, to have multiple games of four made 3's without a miss. In league play, he ranks 11th in the CAA at 40.4% (19-of-47) from 3.
- Knight and
Andy Van Vliet have been double trouble for Tribe opponents. They are one of only two pairs of teammates in the country averaging 13 points and eight rebounds per game. Knight and Van Vliet are also one of only four pairs of teammates in the country with at least nine double-doubles apiece. Van Vliet is 54th nationally at nine double-doubles and 82nd in rebounding (8.5). They both tallied a double-double in the same game six times.
- Junior
Luke Loewe is enjoying a breakout season. He ranks second in CAA in 3-point % (42.7) and sixth in field goal % (52.5). According to KenPom.com, he is 37th nationally in 3-point % in DI games (44.3), 40th in effective field goal % (62.3) and 44th in true shooting % (62.6). Loewe has more than doubled his scoring from last season to 10.4.
- W&M ranks 13th in the country with eight road wins. The Tribe became the first program in CAA history to start 3-0 with all three wins on the road. It marked the sixth time in program history that W&M picked up eight road wins, which ranks second in program history. The Tribe tied a school record with three-straight road wins to open the year.
- In 19 of its 28 games, the Tribe has outrebounded its opponent and W&M is 14-5 in those contests. The Tribe ranks second in the CAA and 63rd nationally in rebounding margin (+4.4). W&M ranks second in the CAA in defensive rebounding % (77.0) and defensive rebounds per game (27.8), which rank 22nd and 43rd in the country.
- The university unveiled plans on Feb. 1 for a reimagined W&M Athletics Complex. The $57-million project includes a revitalize Kaplan Arena and a 36,000-square-foot Sports Performance Center, featuring a strength and conditioning area, a sports medicine space and practice facility. The majority of $41 million already committed was provided by leadership gifts from Katie Garrett Boehly '95 and Todd Boehly '96, as well as Jennifer Tepper Mackesy '91 and D. Scott Mackesy '91. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2020 and conclude in fall 2022.
