PADONOU NAMED MAINE COACHES' ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
 

LEWISTON, Maine -- Bates College first-year forward Rommel Padonou of Libreville, Gabon, has been named Maine College Basketball Coaches and Writers Association Rookie of the Week for the week of Nov. 24.

Padonou averaged 16.5 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Bobcats in a 1-1 week. Bates participated in the Harbor Invitational at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. Padonou represented the Bobcats on the All-Tournament team.

In the opening round against the host Beacons, Padonou had eight points and 10 rebounds, along with two steals and a blocked shot as the Bobcats lost 60-47. In the consolation game against Framingham State College, Padonou had a team season-high 25 points, with 19 coming in the second half, when he hit nine of 12 free throws and five of 10 from the floor. He also grabbed five rebounds in that game. After four games, Padonou is third in Maine and sixth in the New England Small College Athletic Conferece (NESCAC) in scoring with 19.2 points per game.

Padonou hails from Gabon on the west coast of Africa. He first came to the United States as a part of the World Scholar-Athlete Games, hosted by the Institute for International Sport in Kingston, R.I., and headed by Bates alumnus Dan Doyle '72. The staff of the World Scholar-Athlete Games recommended Padonou highly to Bates coach Joe Reilly, who has been pleased with the way the 6-4 forward has performed. Padonou, who can speak seven languages, including four African dialects is "a student-athlete in every sense of the word," Reilly said. "He is a very hard worker, on the court and in the classroom. Rommel is improving every day and he has a tremendous work ethic and positive attitude to go with his talent."