DECEMBER 12TH, 2023
KSU COMMUNICATIONS / kstatesports.com
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Junior Arthur Kaluma continued to earn accolades for his impressive play in wins over Villanova and LSU last week, as he was chosen as one of five national Division I Player of the Week by the U.S Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and the Oscar Robertson Trophy on Tuesday (December 12).
Kaluma, who was selected as the Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday (December 11), was honored by the USBWA alongside St. Bonaventure’s Mika Adams-Woods, Akron’s Enrique Freeman, Memphis’ David Jones and Marquette’sTyler Kolek for games ending December 10.
Kaluma is the third Wildcat to earn the USBWA’s National Player of the Week honors, along with Denis Clemente on February 9, 2010, and Markquis Nowell on January 9, 2023. It is Kaluma’s first national player of the week distinction after twice earning BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors while at Creighton.
Kaluma averaged a double-double in helping K-State (8-2) to a home overtime win over Villanova and a road victory over LSU last week, as he averaged 21.5 points on 76.2 percent (16-of-21) shooting, including 85.7 percent (6-of-7) from 3-point range, to go with 10.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 39.6 minutes per game.
Kaluma scored a game and season-high 26 points in the win over Villanova on December 5, knocking down 10-of-13 field goals, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, and 3-of-3 from the free throw line to go with 9 rebounds and 4 assists in a season-best 44 minutes. The 26 points were one shy of his career-high of 27 he had against BYU while playing at Creighton in 2022. It was his seventh career 20-point game, including his third this season.
Kaluma continued his impressive play in the road win at LSU, recording his fifth career double-double, including his second as a Wildcat, with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, to go with a game-high 11 rebounds in 35 minutes. He has now scored in double figures in 48 career games, including eight this season.
A 6-foot-7, 225-pound wing from Glendale, Ariz., Kaluma is currently averaging 16.6 points on 47.6 percent (49-of-103) from the field, including 38.9 percent (14-of-36) from 3-point range, and 82.2 percent (37-of-45) from the free throw line to go along with 8.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 34.8 minutes per game. He is one of just two players to rank in the Big 12’s top-10 in both scoring and rebounding, as he ranks 10th in scoring and fourth in rebounding.
K-State, winners of 5 in a row, will not play midweek due to semester exams and will return to the court on Sunday, December 17 when the Wildcats play host to former conference rival Nebraska (8-2) at 2 p.m., CT.