Madison Francis earns first SEC Freshman of the Week honor

Mississippi State forward Madison Francis has been named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, the conference announced Tuesday. It is the first time the 6-foot-2 player has received the award.

Earlier this season, Francis was named the Tamika Catchings USBWA National Freshman of the Week. The Lancaster, New York, native averaged 14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, two blocks and 1.5 steals in the past week, nearly posting a double-double each game.

Francis played a key role in Mississippi State’s 77-62 victory over 15th-ranked Tennessee, the team’s first ranked win since 2020. She recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds, along with three blocks, three assists and a steal.

Her six double-doubles lead all SEC freshmen this season. In addition, she scored 17 points in a game against Missouri, falling one rebound shy of a second double-double for the week. Francis made three career-high three-pointers at 50% in that contest.

Overall, Francis is averaging 13.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. She is also among the nation’s best shot blockers, ranking first in the SEC and third nationally with an average of 2.9 blocks per game. She has rejected three or more shots in 12 games this season, the fourth-most in the country and second-most in the SEC.

Mississippi State will face third-ranked South Carolina on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT, with the game airing on SEC Network. Fans can follow the team on social media at ‘HailStateWBK’ or visit HailState.com for updates.

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