University of Notre Dame men’s basketball graduate forward Paul Atkinson Jr. has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week on Monday, February 7, 2022. The West Palm Beach, Florida, native led the Irish through a 2-1 week in ACC play by averaging a double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds) as Notre Dame moved into sole possession of second place in the league standings.
Atkinson Jr.’s week highlight was a 23-point, 11-rebounds dominating effort at Miami on February 2, which at the time was in first place in the league standings. He started the game by converting all seven of his first shots from the field, eventually finishing 11-for-16 from the field as the Irish defeated the Hurricanes 68-64.
𝙾𝙾𝙾𝙾𝙾𝙾𝙾𝙿! 🤑
📺 https://t.co/Ad5RlgDqP3@blakewesley0 | @paulwall561 pic.twitter.com/ztEEp0K9a0
— Notre Dame Basketball (@NDmbb) February 3, 2022
He was equally effective in the paint during the road victory at NC State on Saturday, leading the Irish with 15 points and 10 rebounds while logging a season-high 37 minutes.
𝙲𝙾𝙾𝙺𝙸𝙽' 👨🍳@_TDub3 dish → @paulwall561 dunk
𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗺𝗲 61 | 𝗡𝗖 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 48 | 3:18 to play on @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/sw3P5Zt0LA
— Notre Dame Basketball (@NDmbb) February 5, 2022
Atkinson Jr. began the week with a 14-point, nine-rebound effort in the loss to No. 9/7 Duke. The award is the first ACC weekly award for the 2020 Ivy League Player of the Year (while he was at Yale).