Jaedon LeDee has a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.
On the other hand, the San Diego State forward earned it, as he garnered national, conference and event honors for his stellar play in the Aztecs’ three wins last week.
The senior was among five players who made the Basketball Writers Association’s Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week list. He stood alone on three other lists, as he was named National Player of the Week by ESPN, NCAA March Madness and the Lute Olson Award.
ESPN noted that “his first two weeks of the 2023-24 season can certainly be classified as a breakout. LeDee is putting up simply ridiculous numbers.”
He also received the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week, award as well as being named the Most Valuable Player at the Continental Tire Main Event tournament in Las Vegas.
The Houston native averaged 28.7 points, 12 rebounds and 2.3 assists in San Diego State’s wins over Long Beach State, St. Mary’s and Washington, games in which he shot 57.1% from the floor (28-of-39).
In the final game, a 100-97 overtime thriller, he became the first Aztec since at least the start of the 1996-97 season to total at least 34 points and 17 rebounds in a game. He is the only player in MW history to do it while shooting at least 50% from the field.
It was also the first time that an Aztec scored 34 points in a game since Aerick Sanders did so against Portland on Dec. 31, 2003.
To start the week, LeDee equaled his career-high with 27 points against Long Beach State.
In the Continental Tire Main Event opener against Saint Mary’s, LeDee had 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting.
LeDee is the second Division I player over the last 10 seasons to score more than 20 points on at least 55% shooting in the first five games of a season, joining Obi Toppin who did so in the 2019-20 season en route to the Wooden Award.
San Diego State returns to action against Cal at 4 p.m. Saturday at the SoCal Showcase in San Juan Capistrano.
