Bahamian collegiate basketball player Van Hutchinson Jr. was recently named as the Ontario College Athletic Association (OCAA) Male Athlete of the Week for his performances in Niagara College's first two games of the 2017 portion of the season on Monday and Wednesday.
In the Knights' opener against the Mohawk Mountaineers, the reigning OCAA silver medalists, Hutchinson scored 22 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out six assists and recorded four steals, helping his team secure a 128-109 win.
"Van played an outstanding, full, and well-rounded game against Mohawk," Head Coach Keith Vassell said of Hutchinson's play. "I think Van brings toughness and grittiness to our team. He's an all-around player who can score."
The 128-point showing in the win is the second most in the history of the men's basketball program.
Hutchinson followed up that performance with a 13-point, 11-rebound effort on Wednesday in a 94-76 win over Redeemer College. The 6-foot-4 guard also handed out six assists in the win. Hutchinson is currently averaging team highs in both points (14.6 per game) and rebounds (8.8 per game).
The Niagara are sitting in second in the West Region with an 8-1 win/loss record, and are ranked third provincially and fifth nationally.
The Knights will be in action again on Wednesday when they take on Humber on the road. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.
In their last game against Humber, Hutchinson and the Knights got a 71-66 win. That game was played on November 26. Hutchinson struggled in that game, shooting just 2-for-14 from the field. Now, he's looking to help the Knights position themselves to make a playoff run in a few weeks.
Prior to his time at Niagara, Hutchinson played for Northern Oklahoma College. As a sophomore, he averaged 4.2 points and four rebounds per game.
Fellow Bahamians Kevin Cooper and Jordan Wilson are also having solid seasons for the Knights. Against Mohawk, Cooper scored 17 points, and Wilson chipped in with 12. Against Redeemer, Wilson had 10 and Cooper added four.
Wilson is currently averaging 7.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, while Cooper is averaging 4.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.
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