VALDOSTA, Ga. – Valdosta State men's basketball senior guard MJ Jones and Lady Blazer senior guard Aryana Hicks were named the Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athletes of the Week.  
 
Jones, a native of Pelham, Ala., went 7 of 16 from the field, 4 of 6 from deep and 14 of 16 from the line from for the week as the Blazers avenged a loss to Middle Georgia with a 93-83 win on Nov. 24 and then posted a 103-91 win at Embry-Riddle on Saturday.  Jones scored 32 points for the week with one double-double in a 17-point, 12 rebound outing against MGA.  In that game, he was 3 of 9 from the field, 1 of 2 from distance and a team-best 10 of 12 from the line with 12 rebounds, two assists and one steal.  At ERAU, he finished with 15 points on 4 of 7 from the field, while he was 3 of 4 from deep and 4 of 4 from the line, along with two assists and two steals.  
 
He has started all five games helping lead VSU to a 4-1 record and is leading the team averaging 14.6 points per game and is 24 of 43 from the field (.558), while going 7 of 16 from deep (.438) and 18 of 23 from the line (.783).  He is one of six Blazers averaging double figures this season, while he has 17 assists to lead the team, along with seven steals and averaging 27.6 minutes per game.
 
Hicks, a native of Punta Gorda, Fla., went 12 of 22 from the field this past week, 2 of 6 from distance and 3 of 4 from the line, while pulling down three rebounds, six assists, four steals and scored 29 points.  She went 7 of 10 from the field, 2 of 4 from deep and 1 of 2 from the line for 17 points at Lynn on Nov. 25, while she was 5 of 12 from the field and 2 of 2 from the line with three rebounds, four assists and one steal for 12 points versus No. 9 Embry-Riddle on Saturday.  
 
This season, Hicks leads the team averaging 14.4 points per game on 30 of 55 from the field (.545), while she is 10 of 13 from the line with 27 assists and 11 steals as both lead the team.  Hicks has started all five games and has scored in double figures in each game. 
 
This marks the second Steel's Award for Hicks and the first for Jones this season.
 
VSU opens Gulf South Conference play on Thursday at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. versus West Alabama at The Complex, before hosting The University of Alabama at Huntsville on Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., also at The Complex.  
 
Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athletes of the Week
Oct. 20, 2025 – Eimy Negron Domenech (Volleyball) / Elad Sebbag (Men's Golf)
Oct. 27, 2025 – Kaitlyn Scherer (Women's Soccer) / Mark Robinson (Football)
Nov. 3, 2025 – Taylor Youmans (Women's Soccer) / Council Allen (Football)
Nov. 10, 2025 – Eimy Negron Domenech (Volleyball) / Corey Reddick, Jr. (Football)
Nov. 17, 2025 – Erin Whalen (Women's Basketball) / Matt Rolader (Football)
Nov. 24, 2025 – Aryana Hicks (Women's Basketball) / Blaise Wallace (Men's Basketball)
Dec. 1, 2025 – Aryana Hicks (Women's Basketball) / MJ Jones (Men's Basketball)