Two of the marquee players in America East share the conference’s final Player of the Week honors for 2004-05. Junior Jose Juan Barea of Northeastern earns the honor for the fourth time this season while senior Taylor Coppenrath was cited for the sixth time this year and conference-record 14th time in his career. UMBC guard Brian Hodges and Northeastern forward Shawn James share America East Rookie of the Week honors. The awards were announced Monday (February 28).
Barea (Mayaguez, Puerto Rico/Miami Christian) scored 24 points and handed out 10 assists as the Huskies defeated Albany, 70-63, Sunday to secure their highest championship seed (second) since 1993. The point guard also scored 26 points and had seven assists in an 88-65 win over New Hampshire Thursday.
Coppenrath (West Barnet, Vt./St. Johnsbury Academy) tied his season high with 39 points and added 11 rebounds for his conference-leading ninth double-double of the season in an 81-67 win over New Hampshire Monday. He followed that with a 30-point, seven-rebound effort in a 66-61 win over UMBC Thursday despite suffering from the flu, which forced him to miss the season finale at Maine Sunday.
Hodges (Upper Marlboro, Md./Bishop McNamara) led the Retrievers in scoring in both games last week. He scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half as UMBC rallied in a 68-58 win over Hartford Sunday.
James (Brooklyn, N.Y./High School of Redirection/Notre Dame Prep) had his second triple-double (the second in school history and second this season in America East) with 15 points, a conference season-high 17 rebounds and a conference season-high 11 blocks in a 70-63 win over Albany Sunday.