Cincinnati Bearcats swingman Jarron Cumberland earned American Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the third time. Cumberland scored a career high of 34 points against USF at home and he helped the Bearcats to a 2-0 record.
Congrats to Cumberland, it seems like they might have to change the name of the award if he keeps up at this pace.
Per GoBearcats
University of Cincinnati junior guard Jarron Cumberland (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington High School) became the first league player to earn American Athletic Conference Player of the Week accolades three times this season when the conference announced its weekly awards Monday.
Cumberland averaged 26.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and shot 76.9 percent from the free throw line making 20 of 26 attempts in a pair of wins last week as Cincinnati improved to 16-3 overall and 5-1 in The American.
Cumberland scored a career-high 34 points, shooting 45 percent from the floor (nine of 20) while making a career-best 14 of 16 free throws to go with a season-high four steals in Cincinnati’s 82-74 win over USF on Tuesday, Jan. 15. It marked the most points scored by a Bearcat since Troy Caupain tallied 37 points in 56 minutes against UConn in the four-overtime quarterfinals thriller at the 2016 AAC tournament. The 34-point effort also vaulted Cumberland into Cincinnati’s 1,000-point club as the 53rd member in school history.
Cumberland helped the Bearcats earn a hard fought 66-55 road win at Wichita State on Saturday, Jan. 19, posting a team-high 18 points while making six of 10 free throws and grabbing seven rebounds. With the victory, Cincinnati became the first school since Southern Illinois in 2009 to win back-to-back games at Wichita State’s Charles Koch Arena.
Cumberland has scored 20 or more points in eight games this season, including three times in conference action. He enters this week ranked among the league leaders in seven categories: three-point percentage (second at .427), points (fifth at 17.8), three-pointers made (seventh at 2.3), free throw percentage (ninth at .802), assists (12th at 3.3), assist-to-turnover ratio (12th at 1.3) and steals (T12th at 1.4).
Cumberland previously was named as the league’s player of the week on Nov. 26, 2018 and Dec. 24, 2018. He was selected to the league’s weekly honor roll last week.
Two weeks ago, Cumberland was named to the Lute Olson Player of the Year Award Mid-Season Watch List. He was tabbed to the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Watch List and was voted a first team All-AAC selection in the preseason by league coaches.
Temple’s Shizz Alston, Jr., and UCF’s Aubrey Dawkins each have been named as the conference player of the week twice this season.
