STARKVILLE — Mississippi State forward/center Tolu Smith was named the Southeastern Conference men’s basketball player of the week Monday.
Smith has been a key part of the Bulldogs’ (15-8, 3-7 SEC) three-game winning streak, including victories Tuesday at South Carolina and Saturday against Missouri.
The redshirt senior scored 25 points in the 63-52 win over the Tigers after a 15-point performance against the Gamecocks. Smith pulled down 20 rebounds and dished out four assists between the two games.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” coach Chris Jans said of the honor Monday. “Certainly, we’re excited about how he’s playing. Happy for him and the team to receive accolades like that in the middle of the season.”
Smith also hit 1,000 career points while at Mississippi State during Saturday’s game. He began his collegiate career at Western Kentucky.
Smith and the Bulldogs return to action at 8 p.m. Wednesday against LSU (12-11, 1-9 SEC) at Humphrey Coliseum.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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