BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After 21- and 24-point performances which led to upsets of No. 9 Auburn and No. 14 Kentucky this week, LSU forward Brian Beshara has been named the Southeastern Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week along with Tennessee guard Tony Harris, the league announced Monday.
Beshara averaged 22.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in LSU’s back-to-back wins over these two Top 15 conference foes.
He scored 24 and grabbed seven rebounds in an 83-67 win over Auburn Wednesday in Baton Rouge after shooting 54.5 percent shooting from the floor. Against Kentucky, Beshara turned in a 21-point, seven-rebound effort, adding two assists and three steals.
For the week, he hit 52 percent from the field (13 of 25) and 72.7 percent (16 of 22) from the free throw line.
LSU now has three Player of the Week honors this year (Stromile Swift – Nov 29 and Jan. 31, the other), the first time since 1991 an LSU player has earned the honor three weeks during the season.
The Tigers No. 16 ranking in the Associated Press poll is the team’s highest ranking since the first week of December poll in 1991 when LSU was also No. 16. It also marks the first time LSU has been ranked in the poll three straight weeks since the final three polls of the 1992 season.
The wins over Auburn and Kentucky marked what is believed to be the first time in the regular season that the Tigers have knocked off ranked opponents consecutively in such a short time frame. The last time it happened quicker for LSU was in the NCAA Tournament in 1987 when the Tigers beat No. 8 Temple and No. 5 DePaul in a three-day period.
The Tigers moved up two spots to No. 23 in this week’s ESPN/USA Today coaches poll which was also announced on Monday.