Wingate’s Bryan Grier Named Men’s Basketball Player Of The Week

ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Wingate University senior forward/center Bryan Grier (Charlotte, N.C.) has been named South Atlantic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week ending Feb. 23, league officials announced Monday.

Grier averaged a double-double last week, helping lead Wingate to two wins. He tallied 19.0 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game in the two Bulldog victories. In addition, Grier shot an amazing 76.2 percent from the floor (16-of-21). The NCAA Division II career blocked shots leader also recorded eight rejections last week.

On Saturday afternoon at Newberry, Grier posted a career-high 25 points as Wingate prevailed 78-75. Grier's stat ledger also included nine rebounds, eight dunks, three blocks and two assists. On Wednesday night, Grier led Wingate to an emotional 99-91 overtime victory over Mars Hill on Senior Night.

Grier notched his 30th career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds as the Bulldogs picked up the hard-fought 99-91 overtime win over Mars Hill. Grier leads the SAC in blocked shots (4.2 blocks per game) and field goal percentage (67.5 percent). Also, he is second in the league in rebounding (9.2 rebounds per game).

In the NCAA Division II statistics, Grier is fourth in the country in blocked shots per game and fifth in field goal percentage. Grier is second on Bulldog scoring charts with 14.1 points per game. He joined Wingate's 1000-point club in November.

Grier is the top shot blocker in NCAA, SAC and Wingate history. Entering this week's play, he has 441 career blocks. The previous NCAA Division II career record holder was James Doyle of Concord (W.Va.) University, who blocked 416 shots from 1995-1998.

The Bulldog men's basketball team made the best run in SAC men's basketball history in 2006-07. Wingate (25-9 overall, 11-5 SAC) in 2006-07) won the Food Lion SAC Tournament for the second consecutive season in 2007. The Bulldogs took the 2007 South Atlantic Regional title on their way to becoming the first SAC men's basketball team to participate in an NCAA Division II Elite Eight event.

Grier earns SAC Player of the Week honors for the first time this season and the second time during his illustrious career.

The SAC men's basketball Player of the Week is voted on by the league's sports information directors.