Jan. 10, 2011

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina senior forward Sam Muldrow has been named the SEC Player of the Week, while point guard Bruce Ellington has been named the Freshman of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday. It was the first-career weekly honor for both players.

Monday’s announcement marked the first time South Carolina has swept the weekly awards. The Player of the Week honor was the first since Devan Downey earned the award on Feb. 1, 2010, while the Freshman of the Week honor was the first since Mike Holmes collected the award on March 10, 2008.

Muldrow was named SEC Player of the Week after he averaged 15.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 8.0 blocks in wins over South Carolina State and No. 22 Vanderbilt. Muldrow began the week by posting his third double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds against SC State. He completed his stellar week against Vanderbilt by earning just the second triple-double in school history, scoring 16 points, collecting 14 rebounds and blocking a career high 10 shots. He recorded five of those blocks after receiving his fourth foul with just under five minutes remaining in regulation, while four of his blocks came in overtime. The 10 blocks are a school record and are just 34 away from clinching the career record. Eleven of Muldrow’s 25 rebounds last week were on the offensive end.

Ellington was named SEC Freshman of the Week after averaging 17.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 rebounds in wins over South Carolina State and No. 22 Vanderbilt. He tallied 13 points in a 91-56 win over SC State before scoring 22 points in the first SEC contest of his career, an 83-75 overtime win vs. No. 22 Vanderbilt. Ellington was critical down the stretch against the Commodores, hitting five of his six made 3’s in the contest during the second half. His layup with 4:31 remaining in overtime vs. Vandy gave South Carolina its first lead of the contest, and was the start of an 11-3 South Carolina advantage during extra time en route to the victory.

South Carolina travels to face Alabama in SEC action on Wednesday. The contest will be televised on CSS and will tip off at 9 p.m. ET.