Mississippi State senior forward Tolu Smith has been named SEC Player of the Week.
The Bay St. Louis native is the first player from either Mississippi State or Ole Miss to earn the honor this season.
Smith’s recognition comes after the forward recorded 15 points and eight rebounds in a 66-51 victory at South Carolina as well as a season-best 25 points and 12 rebounds in the Bulldogs’ 63-52 win at home versus Missouri.
Additionally, Smith shot 75 percent from the free-throw line in both matches after struggling from the charity stripe most of the season.
“I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but Tolu deserves everything that he gets. He is as hard a worker as I’ve ever been around,” MSU head coach Chris Jans said following Smith’s performance against Missouri. “That’s really special and I’m really proud of him. I’m telling you, he’s put in hours and hours on his free throw stroke and his game, and it’s really paying off for him.”
The senior transferred to Mississippi State after playing two seasons under former Bulldogs’ head coach Rick Stansbury at Western Kentucky. Smith is currently averaging nearly 15 points and eight rebounds per game this season.
