NetScouts Basketball has selected Purdue guard Brittany Rayburn as its Women's National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Jan. 15.
Rayburn, a 6-0 senior from Attica, Ind., tied an NCAA record with 12 three-pointers in a 72-55 win at Minnesota. She scored 38 points on 12-for-16 on three-pointers which were her only shots from the field. She followed with 14 points came up with a key block late to help Purdue defeat Iowa 57-55. Rayburn made two free throws with 17.5 seconds left to give Purdue the lead, then blocked the potential game-winning 3-pointer. She is the Boilermakers' leading scorer with a 15.1 average and is shooting 40.9 percent from three-point range, helping Purdue (15-3, 5-0 Big Ten) to the top spot in the Big Ten standings.
Illinois guard Brandon Paul is NetScouts Basketball's Men's National Player of the Week. Paul, a 6-4 junior, had a career night in a 79-74 win vs. No. 5 Ohio State last Tuesday, scoring 43 points to go with eight rebounds and four blocks. The 43-point outburst was a career best, and marked the most points scored in a game by a Big Ten player since 1994. It's the second-highest individual scoring output of the season behind the 44 points scored by Creighton's Greg McDermott vs. Bradley.
Paul scored 28 points in the second half, including the Illini's final 15 points over the last 2:40. Paul connected on 11-15 from the field, including 8-10 from three-point range.
After leading his team to a perfect 3-0 West Coast Conference record last week, Saint Mary's junior guard Matthew Dellavedova is the NetScouts Basketball International Player of the Week. The 6'4 junior from Maryborough, Australia averaged 20.7 points and 6.3 assists per game, shooting 55% from the field and 50% from beyond the three-point arc. Dellavedova scored a career high 27 points in a victory over San Francisco and then added 26 more in a win over conference rival, then #21 Gonzaga. In the victories against San Francisco and Gonzaga, Dellavedova shot 11-for-20 on three-pointers. For the season he averaging 15.4 points and 6.6 assists.
Carl Berman is a Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball.