NIU basketball senior Marcus Smallwood won the MAC West Division Player of the Week award for the third time in his career Tuesday.

The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 18.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in the Huskies’ games against Notre Dame and Illinois State last week.

“Marcus has definitely been a force for our team in the early season,” NIU coach Rob Judson said. “He’s off to a great start and has set the tone for this team through his energy. This is a nice honor for Marcus.”

NIU will play against the University of Illinois-Chicago at 5:45 p.m. Friday in the first round of the Hawkeye-Gazette Classic in Iowa City, Iowa.

Note: NIU changed its Jan. 3 home game against Ohio from 2:05 p.m. to 3:05 p.m. because of travel accommodations for the Bobcats.