PEORIA, Ill. -- For the second time this season, Bradley freshman center Patrick O'Bryant (Blaine, Minn./Blaine H.S.) has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week, according to an announcement from the league office following Monday's round of regular-season finales.

Four Bradley players combined for five Valley Newcomer-of-the-Week awards this season. O'Bryant, who won his first weekly honor Nov. 29, was the only Brave to claim multiple awards this season.

O'Bryant's second award was in recognition of his play in Bradley's final three regular-season games. The 7-footer started the week with 20 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots in the 77-61 victory Wednesday versus Interstate 74 rival Illinois State. He added 20 points, nine boards and five rejections Saturday at Northern Iowa, then capped the week with 12 points, four boards and a school-record-tying seven blocked shots Monday versus Drake. His three-game averages were 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.0 blocked shots. In addition, O'Bryant shot 77.4 percent (24-31) from the field.

By tying the school record for blocked shots in a game with his seven rejections Monday, O'Bryant upped his season total to 72 blocked shots. The 72 rejections are the most-ever by a Bradley freshman and leave him seven short of Jeffrey Rabey's 2000-01 single-season school record. O'Bryant's 72 blocks also are the most by a Valley freshman since former Creighton star Benoit Benjamin rejected 92 shots during the 1982-83 season.

O'Bryant will lead the Braves (13-14, 6-12) into the 2005 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament this weekend at the Savvis Center in St. Louis. Bradley finished eighth during the regular-season league race and the Braves will face No. 9 seed Indiana State in the tournament's first game at 6 p.m. Friday. The Bradley-Indiana State winner will take on four-time regular-season champion and 25th-ranked Southern Illinois in Saturday's first quarterfinal game at noon at the Savvis Center.