January 9, 2012
San Antonio – For the better part of Monday’s shootaround, St. Mary’s center Kevin Kotzur parked himself beyond the 3-point arc at Bill Greehey Arena and fired up long shots.
Fittingly, even when outside his comfort range, the big man from La Vernia, Texas didn’t miss much.
But while he flashed some unusual range then, it was his more customary excellence down low that earned him the honor he won earlier in the day Monday.
Coming off a week in which he averaged 22.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists over two victories – all while shooting .741 – Kotzur was named the Heartland Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the third time this season.
There’s no doubt Kotzur’s big week came in large part to the terrific play from his teammates, a big reason why the Rattlers (8-4, 2-0 in Heartland Conference) rolled past their first two conference opponents a week ago. With turnovers few and far between and baskets falling left and right, the inside has opened up for Kotzur of late.
But there’s also no denying Kotzur’s immense presence has plenty to do with such success, as the junior leads the conference in scoring (19.7), rebounding (9.9) and field-goal percentage (.658).
Kotzur and the rest of the Rattlers host Dallas Baptist on Monday at Bill Greehey Arena.