Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Jones named USBWA National Freshman of the Week
1/30/2018 2:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Averaging 17 points over last five games
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee guard Anna Jones has been named the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) National Freshman of the Week as announced by the association Tuesday.
Jones became eligible for the national honor after being named C-USA Freshman of the Week Monday. The Jackson, Tenn., native becomes the first Lady Raider ever to be named National Freshman of the Week.
USBWA Release
"I consider it a great honor to receive this award," Jones said. "I really don't know what to say. I am very appreciative to those who voted for me and thought I was worthy of such recognition. I just try to do my best to help the team in whatever way Coach (Rick) Insell asks. I'm just glad to be part of a winning team."
Jones' recent performances are part of the reason for Middle Tennessee's recent success.
She averaged a team-best 16.5 points and 5.0 rebounds to go with 2.5 steals and 1.5 assists in Lady Raider wins at Marshall and against Charlotte to propel Middle Tennessee into the upper echelon of the league race.
Jones scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Lady Raiders at Marshall. It was the second-highest scoring output of her career, but Jones did more than score to help Middle Tennessee win. The 6-foot-1 guard also led the team with a career-high six rebounds at Marshall, and her three steals also equaled a career high.
"Anna has picked up her game and you are seeing the results," Insell said. "Anna has put in a lot of work. She has been in the gym putting up shots and working to improve. It is not so much the points and shots Anna has hit that makes her performances so big, but it is the fact that her team has needed her to do that in order to win, and she has responded."
Since the start of C-USA play, Jones has been one of the strongest players in C-USA. Over the past five games, Jones is averaging a team-best 17.4 points per game, to go with 4.0 rebounds. She is averaging 3.6 3-pointers per game during this stretch. Middle Tennessee also happens to be 4-1 in those games.
In C-USA games only, Jones is the league's highest-scoring freshman with 13.3 points per game. No other freshman ranks in the Top 20 in scoring. Jones is also third in 3-point field goals per game in C-USA only action at 2.8 per game. She's ninth in 3-point field goal percentage with a .431 clip (22-of-51).
2017-18 USBWA Women's National Players of the Week
• Week ending Dec. 3: Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon (National); Satou Sabally, Oregon (Freshman)
• Week ending Dec. 10: Jaime Nared, Tennessee (National); Braxtin Miller, Oklahoma State (Freshman)
• Week ending Dec. 17: Kitija Laksa, South Florida (National); Raneem Elgedawy, WKU(Freshman)
• Week ending Dec. 24: Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State (National); Kianni Smith, California (Freshman)
• Week ending Dec. 31: Megan Gustafson, Iowa (National); Eleah Parker, Penn (Freshman)
• Week ending Jan. 7: Lashann Higgs, Texas (National); Bre Cavanaugh, Fordham (Freshman)
• Week ending Jan. 14: Asia Durr, Lousiville (National); Hailey Brown, Michigan (Freshman)
• Week ending Jan. 21: Arike Ogunbowale, Notre Dame (National); Eleah Parker, Penn (Freshman)
• Week ending Jan. 28: Kaila Charles, Maryland (National); Anna Jones, Middle Tennessee (Freshman)
Jones became eligible for the national honor after being named C-USA Freshman of the Week Monday. The Jackson, Tenn., native becomes the first Lady Raider ever to be named National Freshman of the Week.
USBWA Release
"I consider it a great honor to receive this award," Jones said. "I really don't know what to say. I am very appreciative to those who voted for me and thought I was worthy of such recognition. I just try to do my best to help the team in whatever way Coach (Rick) Insell asks. I'm just glad to be part of a winning team."
Jones' recent performances are part of the reason for Middle Tennessee's recent success.
She averaged a team-best 16.5 points and 5.0 rebounds to go with 2.5 steals and 1.5 assists in Lady Raider wins at Marshall and against Charlotte to propel Middle Tennessee into the upper echelon of the league race.
Jones scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Lady Raiders at Marshall. It was the second-highest scoring output of her career, but Jones did more than score to help Middle Tennessee win. The 6-foot-1 guard also led the team with a career-high six rebounds at Marshall, and her three steals also equaled a career high.
"Anna has picked up her game and you are seeing the results," Insell said. "Anna has put in a lot of work. She has been in the gym putting up shots and working to improve. It is not so much the points and shots Anna has hit that makes her performances so big, but it is the fact that her team has needed her to do that in order to win, and she has responded."
Since the start of C-USA play, Jones has been one of the strongest players in C-USA. Over the past five games, Jones is averaging a team-best 17.4 points per game, to go with 4.0 rebounds. She is averaging 3.6 3-pointers per game during this stretch. Middle Tennessee also happens to be 4-1 in those games.
In C-USA games only, Jones is the league's highest-scoring freshman with 13.3 points per game. No other freshman ranks in the Top 20 in scoring. Jones is also third in 3-point field goals per game in C-USA only action at 2.8 per game. She's ninth in 3-point field goal percentage with a .431 clip (22-of-51).
2017-18 USBWA Women's National Players of the Week
• Week ending Dec. 3: Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon (National); Satou Sabally, Oregon (Freshman)
• Week ending Dec. 10: Jaime Nared, Tennessee (National); Braxtin Miller, Oklahoma State (Freshman)
• Week ending Dec. 17: Kitija Laksa, South Florida (National); Raneem Elgedawy, WKU(Freshman)
• Week ending Dec. 24: Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State (National); Kianni Smith, California (Freshman)
• Week ending Dec. 31: Megan Gustafson, Iowa (National); Eleah Parker, Penn (Freshman)
• Week ending Jan. 7: Lashann Higgs, Texas (National); Bre Cavanaugh, Fordham (Freshman)
• Week ending Jan. 14: Asia Durr, Lousiville (National); Hailey Brown, Michigan (Freshman)
• Week ending Jan. 21: Arike Ogunbowale, Notre Dame (National); Eleah Parker, Penn (Freshman)
• Week ending Jan. 28: Kaila Charles, Maryland (National); Anna Jones, Middle Tennessee (Freshman)
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