BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball sophomore Jake Phipps has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division Player of the Week today following his play in a pair of SMSU victories this past weekend in Kenosha, Wis.
 
Phipps, a 6-foot-9, 255-pound center from Anoka, Minn., averaged 18 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocked shots in SMSU's victories over Wisconsin-Parkside and Davenport (Mich.). He shot a combined 64 percent (16 of 25) from the field, including connecting on three 3-pointers during the two games.
 
Phipps opened the weekend scoring 15 points on 7 of 12 shooting and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds in recording his first career double-double in SMSU's 69-60 win over Parkside on Friday.
 
In SMSU's come-from-behind 73-63 victory on Saturday, he scored a game-high 21 points on 9 of 13 shooting and made a pair of 3-pointers. He notched his second straight double-double with a game-high 11 rebounds and added three steals and two blocked shots.
 
Through four games this season, Phipps leads SMSU in scoring (15.8) and rebounding (8.8), while shooting 61 percent (26 of 43) from the field, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range.
 
Phipps, a 2018 graduate of Anoka High School, has played in 44 career games with 18 starts and has scored 404 points, while shooting 63 percent (170 of 272) from the field.
 
Phipps is the first SMSU player to earn the weekly award since the 2018-19 season.
 
Southwest Minnesota State, 3-1 overall, opens NSIC play on Tuesday with a 7:30 p.m. match-up at the University of Sioux Falls.