Nov. 30, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina men’s basketball senior Mindaugas Kacinas was named the SEC Player of the Week Monday afternoon. This is Kacinas’ second career weekly honor, after earning Freshman of the Week honors in 2012; this is Carolina’s first weekly honor of the season.

The forward from Klaipeda, Lithuania, averaged 13.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game last week in helping to lead the Gamecocks to two victories, extending their win streak to six games to start the season. The start is the best for Carolina since the 2003-04 campaign, and the best of Frank Martin’s coaching career.

Kacinas scored 11 points and pulled down eight rebounds en route to a place on the Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team when the Gamecocks defeated a previously unbeaten Tulsa team to claim the tournament crown last Monday. Kacinas earned his tournament accolades after averaging 17.3 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per game during the event, which included posting a career high 23 points vs. DePaul. The Gamecocks returned home to host Lipscomb on Friday afternoon, and Kacinas provided 15 points, hitting 7-of-10 attempts from the floor, while also pulling down six rebounds in the win.

Through the team’s first six games this season, Kacinas has started all six and is second on the team with 14.5 points per game and leads the team with 6.8 rebounds per game. He and the Gamecocks will look to stay unbeaten Monday night, hosting Western Carolina for a 7 p.m. first tip.