Eric McGill named MVC Newcomer of the Week

11/26/2018 | 3:02:00 | Men's Basketball

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Southern Illinois junior guard Eric McGill has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week, the league announced Monday. McGill averaged 16 points and 5.5 rebounds in two games at the Las Vegas Holiday Invitational last week.

McGill, a junior, returned from an injury and scored 18 points in 18 minutes against UMass. He followed that up with a team-high 14 points and game-high six rebounds in the win over Tulsa. In the two games combined, McGill needed just 14 shots in only 44 minutes to pile up his 32 points, shooting an efficient 8-for-14 (57 percent) from the field and 4-for-5 (80 percent) from the 3-point line. His 18 points against UMass are his career high.

McGill missed all but 10 games last season due to injury and obtained a medical hardship waiver. This is the first MVC weekly award won by an Saluki this season and SIU's first Newcomer of the Week since Kavion Pippen earned the honor four times last year.