Fortson named SEC Player of the Week

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Sophomore point guard Courtney Fortson was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday afternoon by the league office in Birmingham, Ala., after leading the Razorbacks to a pair of SEC victories and averaging more than 25 points per game.

Fortson tallied 27 points on the road against Georgia on Wednesday night and returned to Bud Walton Arena to score 24 including 10 in overtime to lead the Hogs past Auburn. On the year, Fortson is averaging 20.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He has three double-doubles and five 20-point games.

"Courtney is playing very well for us right now and is a big part of our success of late," Arkansas head coach John Pelphrey said. "He has a knack for scoring and getting fouled and his hard work practicing his shot in the off season has really paid off."

This is the second Player of the Week award and third SEC honor for Fortson in his career. He was named the SEC Player of the Week on Dec. 15, 2008 and the SEC Freshman of the Week on Dec. 22, 2008. Fortson becomes just the fifth Arkansas player to earn two SEC Player of the Week honors in his career and the first since Jonathan Modica earned one in each of the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

With Marshawn Powell’s SEC Freshman of the Week honor just seven days ago, this is just the third time in Arkansas history that Razorback players have earned SEC weekly honors in consecutive weeks. Along with the Powell-Fortson tandem, Fortson earned freshman and player of the week honors during the 2008-09 season and Corliss Williamson and Scotty Thurman each earned player of the week honors in Feb. of 1995.

The Razorbacks host the LSU Tigers at Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. For more information regarding Razorback men’s basketball or University of Arkansas athletics, please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.