Sendai 89ers forward Mamadou Diouf is the Circle K Sunkus Player of the Week, the bj-league announced.

Diouf has become his team's go-to player on offense, and he's thriving in that role. Diouf, who played all 40 minutes on Saturday, scored 44 points on 18-for-31 shooting and grabbed 15 rebounds in an 84-82 loss to the visiting Takamatsu Five Arrows.

The 44-point output is the best by a bj-league player this season. A day later, he scored 28, pulled down 19 rebounds, dished out six assists, blocked two shots and made three steals to help his team win 80-74.