Embiid Named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week

IRVING, Texas – In blocking a Kansas freshman record seven shots in KU’s 67-63 win against UTEP, freshman C Joel Embiid was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week in a vote by a media panel which covers men’s basketball the conference announced Monday.

Embiid scored in double digits in two contests as the Jayhawks recorded a 2-1 record at the Battle 4 Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas, over Thanksgiving weekend. The 7-0 Yaoundé, Cameroon, native also had 10 blocked shots while shooting 63.2 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from the free throw line. His seven rejections versus UTEP set the KU freshman record for blocked shots in a game, previously held by Nick Collison (six vs. Nebraska in 2000). Embiid averaged 9.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks in the event.

Averaging 9.1 points and a team-best 7.0 rebounds, Embiid leads Kansas in field goal percentage at 67.6 percent and is third in the Big 12 with 2.3 blocked shots per game. His 7.0 boards per game are ninth in the league.

Embiid joins sophomore F Perry Ellis and freshman G Andrew Wiggins who have also been named to weekly Big 12 honorees this season. Ellis was the co-Big 12 Player of the Week Nov. 18 and Wiggins the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, also on Nov. 18.

Kansas (6-1) is in action next at former conference foe Colorado on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 2:15 p.m. (Central). The game will be shown on ESPN. CU was 7-1 on the entering its Dec. 3 contest at Colorado State.

KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.