Luedtke Named NWC Men's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University junior forward Brandon "Bubba" Luedtke (Meridian, ID/Mountain View HS) has been chosen Northwest Conference Men's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week for his efforts in wins on Friday, Jan. 9 and Saturday, Jan. 10. It is the second time that Luedtke has received Student-Athlete of the Week honors this season.

The Bearcats defeated University of Puget Sound, 84-77 in overtime, on Friday in Tacoma, Wash., and outscored George Fox University, 75-72, at Cone Field House on Saturday. Willamette's win over the Loggers was the team's first road victory over Puget Sound since Jan. 31. 2003.

Luedtke returned to action this past weekend after missing four games with a back injury. Willamette lost all four games while he was out, but won both games when he returned, as he achieved a double-double in each game.

"Bubba probably played at 80-90% capacity, but the fact he was still able to average a double-double speaks volumes to his abilities as a player and his inner fortitude as a person," said Willamette Head Coach Kiop Ioane.

"It's no coincidence that we his return sparked a weekend sweep for us," Ioane added. "His presence really boosts the confidence of the guys around him and makes us that much better as a team."

At Puget Sound, Luedtke scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while hitting 6 of 9 field goals. He scored six points in overtime, helping Willamette gain a 19-12 scoring margin in the extra session.

During the win over George Fox, he scored 15 points and hauled down 11 boards. He was 7 for 11 shooting, including two layups in the final 1:46.

For the week, Luedtke averaged 14.0 points, and 11.0 rebounds per game. He shot 65.0% from the field (13 of 20), and contributed 1.0 assists, 0.5 blocked shots and 1.0 steals per game.

He leads the Bearcats in scoring this season with 14.9 points per game. He also ranks first on the squad with 10.4 rebounds per contest.

Luedtke previously was named NWC Men's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week for his solid play against University of La Verne on Nov. 21 and California Institute of Technology on Nov. 22. He scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds against La Verne, and earned 21 points and 11 boards versus Caltech.