For a record fourth consecutive week, UCF men's basketball's Taylor Hendricks has been named the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week. It is the first time in The American's history that a player has been honored as the top freshman in the league for four weeks in a row.
Ithiel Horton was also honored this week as he was named to The American's weekly honor roll after his performance on Sunday.
Hendricks has been having a season to remember thus far, and Sunday's game was a continuation of that. He scored 16 points and collected nine rebounds in UCF's lone contest of the week, a 75-49 victory over Tarleton. Hendricks only missed one shot for the second consecutive game, going six-of-seven from the field including a perfect three-for-three from beyond the arc.
Hendricks is a remarkable 12-of-14 from the field and seven-of-eight from three-point land over his last two games. Over that span, his season field goal percentage has jumped from 46.9% to 52.6%, and his three-point percentage has risen from 40% to 50%.
Overall, Hendricks is 10th in the conference in scoring, averaging 15.56 points per game while checking in at seventh with 7.11 rebounds a contest. He leads the conference in three-point percentage at an even 50%, sinking 19-of-38 triples. On the defensive side of the ball, he is fourth in blocked shots, averaging 1.56 per game.
Not only is Hendricks the first rookie in conference history to win four straight Rookie of the Week honors, but he is now the most decorated Knight in program history when it comes to freshman of the week nods. With his fourth nod, Hendricks has now passed Darius Johnson, Isaiah Adams, Ceasar DeJesus, Adonys Henriquez and B.J. Taylor who all had three in their freshmen campaigns.
Horton earned a spot on this week's honor roll after shooting 6-of-12 from the field including a trio of three pointers in a 15-point night. He tallied three rebounds and an assist while registering a plus-23 mark while on the floor, third to only Hendricks (plus-27) and C.J. Kelly (plus-25).
