NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference announced Tuesday that its first men's basketball player of the week is University of South Alabama senior Josh Ajayi.

It is Ajayi's first career weekly honor from the conference, and the first by a Jaguar since Trhae Mitchell shared the award in January last season.

The El Monte, Calif., native averaged 21.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in USA's 2-0 start. He set a new career high on Saturday with 30 points vs. Southern Miss, with 20 coming after halftime. Ajayi shot 10 for 14 from the floor and 8 for 9 from the foul line against the Golden Eagles, and made two of his four 3-point attempts. He also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and dished out three assists.

In the opener against Pikeville, he recorded his 20th career double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, and became the ninth Jaguar to have a 13-13 game in a season opener in school history. Ajayi went 5 for 6 from the field and blocked three shots.

Ajayi moved up to 11th in USA history in career points (1,312), passing Roger Webb, and into seventh in career rebounds (640) past John May. Ajayi needs 38 points for 10th (Demetrice Williams) and eight rebounds for sixth (Virgil Stanescu).

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the South Circle, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics. Contributions to South Circle directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/give.

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