NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball standout William Loyd has been selected the BOXTOROW National Player of the Week for March 2-8.
     Loyd, a 6-foot-5 senior forward from Baton Rouge, La., and a Madison Prep alum, averaged 21 points and seven rebounds in four games. The first of those contests was the Gold Rush's 69-65 home victory against Tougaloo that gave XULA the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship; the fourth game was another Gold Rush home victory against Tougaloo — 78-75 to give XULA its first GCAC Tournament championship since 1996. Loyd was selected GCAC Tournament MVP.
     Loyd shot 70.8 percent from the floor and 94.1 percent from the line. He is XULA's second BOXTOROW recipient and the first since Morris Wright in February 2015. The award emanates from DWCommunications, which produces the weekly national sports talk show From the Press Box to Press Row with Donal Ware. XULA head coach Alfred Williams will be one of Ware's guests this weekend. Ware's show majorly emphasizes HBCU sports.
     XULA, ranked 15th in NAIA Division I, will learn Wednesday evening of its opponent and game time for the national tournament at Kansas City, Mo. The tournament will begin March 18.