PROVO, Utah-Monday, BYU men’s basketball star junior guard/forward Richie Saunders was named the Big 12 player of the week following his strong performances in the Cougars’ wins over Arizona State and West Virginia.

In the victories over the Sun Devils and Mountaineers, Saunders, a native of Riverton, Utah and a former Wasatch Academy star, averaged 19.5 points per game and shot 54 percent from the field.

Saunders is presently averaging 15.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game for the No. 19 Cougars.

Saunders and his BYU teammates face a daunting task Tuesday as they visit the No. 10 Iowa State Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum of Ames, Iowa for a 7:00 pm MST opening tip.