BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Kentucky freshman guard Malik Monk was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week after leading the Wildcats in scoring with 21 points and 3.5 assists per game in wins over Vanderbilt and Auburn.
Monk had 18 points against the Commodores and a game-high 24 with six assists in the win over Auburn.
He clinched the win at Vanderbilt by scoring UK’s final six points, including four free throws in the final 17 seconds to seal the win. He combined with guards Isaiah Briscoe and De’Aaron Fox to score UK’s final 27 points over the last 12 minutes of the game.
Monk dished out six assists in the win over the Tigers – just one off a career-high – the most against any SEC foe this season.
He hit five 3-pointers on the week, including the only one at Vanderbilt to keep UK’s nation-leading games with a 3-pointer streak alive. His four 3-pointers against Auburn helped UK shoot 57.9 percent from behind the arc, the highest output of the season.
Monk shot 48.3 percent from the floor for the week, helping the Cats to 12 games this season where they made at least half of their shots. UK has shot better than 50 percent in all five SEC games.
Monk earned his fourth SEC honor of the season (third Freshman of the Week). His four overall honors ties teammate De’Aaron Fox for the most in the league this season.
Kentucky has had the SEC Freshman of the Week three weeks in a row. This marks the ninth weekly award of the season for the Wildcats, the most of any team in the conference. Monk is second in the league in Freshman of the Week honors (three) as Fox has earned the honor a league-high four times. Monk has reached double-figure scoring in every game this season, and topped 20 or more points 10 times.
He continues to lead the SEC in scoring at 21.8 points per game and is seeking to become just the fourth freshman in conference history to win the league’s scoring title. Monk is second among all freshmen nationally in scoring. He’s made 54 3-pointers this season in just 17 games, ahead of where Jamal Murray (46) was at this point in the season last year when he went on to break the UK freshman record with 113 3-pointers
The Wildcats will resume action with a 7 p.m. tip at Mississippi State on Tuesday in Humphrey Coliseum. The game will air live on ESPN.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
