Carlos Lopez, Jr. (Egg Harbor, N.J./Egg Harbor Township [Feltrim Academy (Fla.)], a member of the Saint Francis men's basketball team, has been named a Northeast Conference (NEC) Prime Performer for the week of January 29-February 4. It is the second time he has received Prime Performer honors.

Lopez averaged 18.5 points per game in the week for the Red Flash. For the second time this season, the freshman had a 20-point game against CCSU and matched his career-high of 22 points against the Blue Devils on Thursday. He averaged 21.5 points per game in the two games against the Blue Devils after registering 21 points in the January 13 meeting in Loretto. He also had 22 points against Campbell on December 30, while the 22 points at CCSU was the first time a player scored 20 points on the road since February 18, 2023, at LIU. The New Jersey native then had 16 points at LIU on Saturday.

Lopez has nine 10+ point games this season and is tied for the team lead with three 20-point performances. The freshman is averaging 14.5 points per game in his last four games after being reinserted into the starting lineup. He was averaging 5.0 in his first four starts of the year. Lopez is the fourth freshman to post three 20-point games under head coach Rob Krimmel, joining Keith Braxton (5, 2016-17), Ben Millaud-Meunier (4, 2012-13), and Landon Moore (3, 2022-23).

Lopez earned his second NEC Prime Performer selection after also taking home the recognition for week eight of the season. He was also named NEC Rookie of the Week for that same week (December 25-31).

Sophomore Cam Gregory (Accokeek, Md./The Steward School [Va.]) leads the team with six Prime Performers (weeks three, five, six, seven, eight, and 10). Freshman Eli Wilborn (Middletown, Conn./Middletown [South Kent]) is second on the team with five Prime Performer selections (weeks four, five, nine, 11, and 12). Along with Lopez's two accolades, fellow freshman Bobby Rosenberger III (Quakertown, Pa./Perkiomen School) was a Prime Performer (week two).

 Lopez is one of four Saint Francis men's basketball players who have earned NEC Rookie of the Week honors this season, the second most in NEC history, trailing the 2018-19 Mount St. Mary's team, who had five different players receiving the distinction. The squad has had the top rookie in a week in seven of the 13 weeks this season. Wilborn has earned the top rookie honor four times (November 27-December 3, December 4-10, December 18-24, January 16-22). Rosenberger (November 13-19) and Aaron "Ace" Talbert (Wyandanch, N.Y./Scotland Campus [Pa.] (Combine Academy [N.C.]) (December 11-17) also earned the honor this season.  

Saint Francis returns from a two-game road trip to face Stonehill at DeGol Arena on Saturday. Game time is 4 p.m.