Former Walk-on's Career Reaches Another High

CONWAY, S.C. — Antonio Darden's collegiate basketball career at Coastal Carolina University has taken yet another turn. The latest twist for the redshirt junior forward is the Big South Conference's Player of the Week honor for the week ending January 27, 2002.

Darden, a native of Randallstown, Maryland, led Coastal Carolina to a pair of Big South victories this past week. In CCU's 88-78 victory over UNC Asheville, Darden posted his second double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds, eight of which came on the offensive end. He then posted game highs of 20 points and seven rebounds in the Chants' 77-73 victory on the road at Charleston Southern. Darden connected on 50 percent from the field and 92.3 percent from the free throw line for the week. He also added three steals and an assists, while turning the ball over just twice.

The Player of the Week award is yet another part to a storied collegiate career for Darden. After making the Coastal Carolina squad three years as a walk-on, Darden's hard work paid off when he was given a scholarship by Head Coach Pete Strickland midway through the 2000-2001 season. During his time as a Chanticleer, he has posted six double-doubles and is in the record book twice at CCU. On two different occasions, one of his double-doubles was joined by a teammates double-double in the same game. These two double double-double performances mark the only two games in CCU history when a pair of Chants reached the mark in the same game.