For the fourth time this season, Valparaiso University men’s basketball freshman Cooper Schwieger (Overland Park, Kan. / Blue Valley Southwest [Link Year]) was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday.

Schwieger enjoyed another big week, averaging a team-high 16.5 points per game to go along with 3.5 rebounds per game. He shot at a 53.6 percent clip over two games for the Beacons, making 15 of his 28 field-goal attempts. Schwieger started the week by tallying 17 points and five rebounds while shooting 8-of-16 in a road game against first-place Indiana State on Wednesday. He followed that up by once again leading the team in scoring on Saturday vs. Belmont, when he accrued 16 points on 7-of-12 from the field. Schwieger has scored nine points or more in 10 straight games including three straight with 16 points or more. 

This is the sixth time that a Beacon has captured an MVC weekly award this season, the program’s highest weekly award total since joining the conference. Schwieger was previously named Freshman of the Week on Nov. 27, Jan. 15 and Jan. 24, while Williamson earned that award on Jan. 2. Stafford was tabbed MVC Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 20. Schwieger is now tied with Evansville’s Chuck Bailey for the most MVC Freshman of the Week awards this season.

Valpo will return to action on Wednesday, hosting UNI at 7 p.m. at the Athletics-Recreation Center.