BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University junior guard Trey Drechsel has been selected as the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division II Men’s Basketball National Player of the Week after he averaged 26.5 points and 13.5 rebounds to lead the Vikings to a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference victories last week.

Drechsel (Woodinville, WA/Cedar Park Christian) shot 64.5 percent (20-for-31) from the field on the week, including a 67 percent (6-for-9) clip from three-point range. He lifted the Vikings to a 99-72 win over Concordia (OR) University in the GNAC opener with a 32-point, 17-rebound double-double, hitting 12-of-17 from the field while adding 3 assists.

Two nights later, he led WWU to an 85-58 victory over  No. 13-ranked and previously-unbeaten Western Oregon by notching another double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. He also tallied 3 assists and 3 steals to help lead his team to a 2-0 start to GNAC play.

The USBWA Division II National Player of the Week has been awarded each week of the season dating back to the 2014 season, with Drechsel becoming the third GNAC player and first from WWU to earn the award. Marc Matthews of Montana State Billings (1/3/17) and Suki Wiggs of Alaska Anchorage (2/7/17) both earned the award last season.

WWU (5-2, 2-0 GNAC) returns to action next Tuesday (Dec. 12), hosting Cal State East Bay on WECU Court in Carver Gym at 7 pm. The Vikings will then travel to Honolulu, Hawai’i for the Hoops in Hawai’i Holiday Classic with games against Harding (Dec. 16) and Tampa (Dec. 17) at the Hawai’i Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawai’i. The conference schedule resumes at the end of the month with games at Seattle Pacific (Dec. 28) and at Saint Martin’s (Dec. 30).

About WWU Basketball:

One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, recording a 20-win season in seven of the last nine seasons. WWU is a six-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion and has appeared in the NCAA II Elite 8 three times. The Vikings won the 2011-12 NCAA Division II National Championship and advanced the following season to the NCAA II Final Four. Western is coming off a 2016-17 season where the program went 25-6, winning the GNAC regular season and conference championships title, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships as the No. 3 seed in the West Region. The program enters its 116th season, having combined for 1,463 victories and a .590 winning percentage.

— @WWUHoops —