Rarlensee Nelson is this week's UNOPrivateers.com Student-Athlete of the Week.

As of games played on Nov. 17, Nelson is ranked in a tie for second place nationally with LIU-Brooklyn's Jason Brickman with 8.7 assists per game.  

A product of Ville Plate, La., Nelson made a significant impact in two games this week as the guard dished out a total of 20 assists, including a career-best 14 against Bethune Cookman.

Nelson’s assist total included nine in the second half of the B-CU game, accounting for 82 percent of the Privateers’ 11 made baskets after the break against the Wildcats.

More notably, the 14 assists ties Ohio’s D.J. Cooper for this season’s single-game high by an NCAA Division I student-athlete for games through Nov. 17.

The 14 assists are the most for a UNO player since 1974 when Jordan Crump set the school-record with 18 against Savannah State on Nov. 30 of that year. Nelson’s 14 also surpassed the Privateer record for a senior, eclipsing the mark set six previous times, including twice apiece by Jimmie Smith and Duane Reboul.

NCAA Division I – Single Game Assists Top Marks for 2012-13 Season (as of Nov. 17)
Rarlensee Nelson, New Orleans - 14 vs. Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 15)
D.J. Cooper, Ohio - 14 vs. UNC-Wilmington (Nov. 16)
Pe'Shon Howard, Maryland - 13 vs. LIU-Brooklyn (Nov. 16)
Will Wilson, North Florida – 12 vs. Edward Waters (Nov. 10)
Larry Drew, UCLA – 12 vs. James Madison (Nov. 15)
 
NCAA Division I – Assist Leaders (as of Nov. 17)
1. D.J. Cooper, Ohio -  10.0 apg
T-2. Jason Brickman, LIU-Brooklyn – 8.7 apg
T-2. Rarlensee Nelson, New Orleans – 8.7 apg
T-4. Four players with 8.5 apg.

UNO Assist Records Prior to Rarlensee Nelson’s 14 Assist Performance vs Bethune-Cookman    
Game: 18 - Jordan Crump vs. Sav. St., Nov. 30, 1974
Season: 178 - Jimmie Smith, 1994-95 (31 games, 5.7)
Career: 456 - Gabe Corchiani, 1984-88 (120 games, 3.8)
                               
Assists in a Game by Classification
Freshman:          12 - Mitch Shuler vs. UAB, Feb. 16, 1980
Soph.: 18 - Jordan Crump vs. Sav. St., Nov. 30, 1974
Junior: 15 - Terry Gill vs. Centenary, Feb. 24, 1973
* Senior: 12 - Jimmie Smith vs. USA, Feb. 5, 1995
12 - Jimmie Smith vs. Lewis & Clark, Nov. 29, 1994
12 - Eugene Washington vs. UL Lafayette, Feb. 2, 1984
12 - Terry Gill vs. Lewis, Jan. 5, 1974
12 - Duane Reboul vs. UL Lafayette, March 12, 1971
12 - Duane Reboul vs. Samford, Feb. 13, 1971
 
*record now held by Rarlensee Nelson with 14 against Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 15, 2012)