Weekly MVC Notebook in PDF Format 
Nov. 19, 2007
NORMAL, Ill. -
After leading Illinois State to its first 3-0 start to a season since the 1996-97 campaign, sophomore guard Osiris Eldridge was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week as announced by the league office Monday afternoon. It is Eldridge's first career player of the week honor, but his second weekly accolade from the conference. Eldridge was named MVC Newcomer of the Week for the period ending Feb. 25, 2006.
Eldridge, the 2007 MVC Freshman of the Year, averaged 28.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in helping the Redbirds to a pair of home wins against Southeast Missouri State (Nov. 14) and UNC-Wilmington (Nov. 18) in the respective first and second rounds of the Chicago Invitational Challenge last week.
In Wednesday's 90-71 win over the Redhawks, Eldridge poured in a game-high 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting, corralled seven rebounds, including four offensive caroms and tallied six steals. In the 89-73 victory over UNC-Wilmington Sunday, he recorded his first career 30-point effort with a career-best 30 points (10-for-15) on 5-of-6 shooting from three-point range and pulled down seven rebounds.
For the week, Eldridge played 67 minutes (33.5 mpg), went 20-30 (.667) from the field, converted eight-of 12 three-point field goals (.667), went 9-for-12 from the free throw line, corralled 14 rebounds and tallied seven steals.
Through three games this season, Eldridge is averaging 21.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He is shooting at nearly a 64 percent (.639) clip from the field, and 59 percent (.588) from three-point range. Eldridge also has a team-high 10 steals on the season.
