UNLV MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS: Christian Wood Earns More National Recognition

 

CHRISTIAN WOOD EARNS MORE NATIONAL RECOGNITION

USBWA and NBCSports.com also selects UNLV sophomore forward as National Player of the Week

Wood, a 6-foot-11-inch forward from Long Beach, Calif., recorded back-to-back double-doubles while averaging 23.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game as UNLV went 2-0 last week with wins over then-No. 3 Arizona (71-67) and Southern Utah (79-45).

He scored a career- and game-high 24 points and pulled down a team-best 10 rebounds against Arizona last Tuesday. He was 10-of-17 from the field against the Wildcats and made all four of his free-throw attempts. He also blocked two shots and dished out one assist in 34 minutes of action. Wood netted 16 of his 24 points in the second half.

The win over the Wildcats was the Runnin’ Rebels’ first over a team ranked as high as No. 3 at the Thomas & Mack Center since 1988 when they defeated No. 3 Temple. It was also UNLV’s eighth victory over a ranked team in the Dave Rice Era, including second against a top-five squad. In addition, the win snapped Arizona’s 39-game regular-season non-conference win streak.

Wood also grabbed a personal-best and game-high 14 rebounds against Southern Utah on Saturday night. He scored a game-high-tying 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, including 2-of-2 from 3-point range. He also blocked a game-high and career-high-tying five shots in 31 minutes of play.

For the week, Wood was 19-of-29 from the field (65.5 percent) and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.

The Runnin’ Rebels (9-3) open conference play on the road at Wyoming (11-2) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. PST. That game may be seen on ESPN3 and will be broadcast on radio in Las Vegas on ESPN 1100 AM/100.9 FM. UNLV will then play at No. 13/14 Kansas (9-2) on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. PT on CBS.