College Sports Madness Tabs Peterson of Red Wolves Basketball Player of Week

Courtesy Sporting Life Arkansas Athletics Department

JONESBORO, Ark. (2/18/13) – Arkansas State University’s Brandon Peterson has been chosen as this week’s (Feb. 18) College Sports Madness Sun Belt Conference (SBC) Men’s Basketball Player of the Week following his notable efforts in leading the Red Wolves to a 2-0 record this past week and first place in the SBC’s West Division.

Peterson registered per game averages of 15.5 points (31 pts.), 11.5 rebounds (23 rebs.), 1.5 blocked shots (three), and 1.5 steals (three) in ASU’s two contests this last week. The 6-8 senior forward produced a pair of double-doubles this past week in victories over UALR last Thursday (2/14) and at ULM Saturday (2/16). Peterson compiled game highs in both points (20) and rebounds (13) in an 86-62 home triumph over instate rival UALR while going 5-6 (83.3%) from the floor and 10-11 (90.9%) at the free throw stripe. A native of Birmingham, Ala., Peterson scored 11 points and grabbed a game-leading 10 rebounds in an 87-54 victory at ULM. He was perfect both from the field (3-3) and at the charity stripe (5-5).

This season, Peterson leads A-State in both rebounding with a career season-best 9.7 per game average (253 rebs.) and blocked shots at 1.2 a contest (31 blks.) as a 26-game starter. The 2012-13 College Sports Madness All-SBC Preseason Third-Team honoree ranks second on the squad in scoring with a 10.7 average (278 pts.) and is tops in field-goal percentage with a 52.4% (100-191) efficiency rate. Peterson, who has chalked up 10 double-doubles this campaign, has generated 17 double-figure scoring and 13 double-digit rebounding to date this season. The 2012-13 ASU tri-captain is listed 18th in rebounding (9.7 rpg.) among the NCAA Division I national statistical leaders through games of Feb. 17 while ranking 25th in double-doubles (10) and 199th in blocked shots (1.19 avg.).

For his ASU career (2009-13), Peterson presently ranks third among the program’s all-time leaders in blocked shots (154 blks.), seventh in rebounds (838 rebs.), and 22nd in points (1,051 pts.). Peterson, who’s averaging 8.6 points and 6.9 rebounds an outing as a starter in 108 of 122 games played, ranks 14th on the Sun Belt Conference’s career leaders list in rebounds and is 22nd in blocked shots.

Peterson, a 2011-12 College Sports Madness All-SBC Third-Team selection, is the third Red Wolves’ player to earn such recognition this season as junior guard Ed Townsel (Jan. 7) and senior guard Trey Finn (Feb. 4) previously received the weekly honor by the online information service.

Arkansas State, which has presently won six of its last seven contests, is currently 17-9 overall and 11-6 in the SBC’s West Division this campaign. The Red Wolves host Troy this Saturday (Feb. 23) in their 2012-13 regular-season home finale at the ASU Convocation Center in Jonesboro, Ark., with a 7:05 p.m. (CT) start scheduled for the conference encounter.