DePaul University Athletics
Kelly and Melvin Pick Up BIG EAST Honors
2/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Feb. 21, 2011
CHICAGO - Following DePaul's week that saw the Blue Demons knock off Providence and push 14th-ranked Villanova to overtime, freshman Cleveland Melvin was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week and junior Jeremiah Kelly was selected to the league's honor roll.
Melvin earns Rookie of the Week honors for the fourth time this season to lead all BIG EAST freshmen. No other league rookie has earned the honors more than twice this season. Kelly makes his first career appearance on the BIG EAST weekly honor roll after a pair of career-high scoring games.
Melvin averaged 18.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in the two games that included a 20-point, six-rebound effort at Providence on Thursday. The Providence game was Melvin's eighth game this season of 20 or more points. He followed that effort with 16 points, four rebounds and two blocked shots against Villanova. The games were his 17th and 18th of the season in double-figures and the two blocks against the Wildcats marked the 11th time this season with multiple blocked shots in game.
Kelly scored a career high in each game last week at Providence and against Villanova. The junior guard averaged 24.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 3.0 assists while shooting .550 (11-20) from three-point range and .818 (9-11) from the free throw line.
He posted first 20-point game of his career with a then career-high 23 points at Providence and added a career-high six steals along with five rebounds in 37 minutes against the Friars. Kelly followed the Providence performance with a career-high 25 points in the overtime loss against Villanova on Saturday. He knocked down a career-high seven three-pointers to tie for second on DePaul's game list and was one short of tying the school record of eight three's in a game.
The Blue Demons play at St. John's on Wednesday night in Queens, N.Y. before hosting the USF Bulls on Saturday at Allstate Arena. For ticket information, contact the DePaul ticket office at (773) 325-SLAM.
