Sparks Named MAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week

Payton Sparks has been named the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week, the MAC office announced Monday afternoon.

Sparks went for a career-high 27 points and added 14 rebounds in Ball State's 89-76 win at Buffalo on Saturday a few days after putting up 19 points and a career-best 17 rebounds against Western Michigan. For the week, the senior center averaged 23.0 points on 60 percent shooting from the field (15-for-25), 15.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game.

The senior center increased his season averages to 12.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game with the performances. In nine games of MAC play, Sparks is tied for the team lead in scoring (16.0 points per game) and paces the conference in rebounding (11.6 per game).

The Winchester, Ind., native is 1 of 10 men's basketball players in Ball State program history to accumulate at least 1,000 points and 700 rebounds in his career.

This is Ball State's third weekly honor of the season from the MAC office after Jermahri Hill was named the Co-Player of the Week on Dec. 2 and Juanse Gorosito the Player of the Week on Dec. 16.

Sparks earns his second weekly honor from the MAC of his career after being named the Co-Player of the Week on Nov. 28, 2022.

Ball State is next set to play at Akron at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Sparks Named MAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week

Players Mentioned

Juanse Gorosito

Jermahri Hill

Payton Sparks

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