CHICAGO – Redshirt junior forward Vlad Karasev (Moscow, Russia/Jamestown/Collin/Spring Creek Academy) from the Saint Xavier University men's basketball team (1-1/0-0 CCAC) was named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week when the awards were announced by the league office Tuesday morning. Karasev posted consecutive double-doubles for the Cougars averaging 16.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, as well as 3.5 steals per game as SXU went 1-1 over the weekend to start the 2026-27 season in St. Louis, Mo.

• In the season opener, an 86-76 defeat at Harris-Stowe State University (Mo.), Karasev scored a team-high 20 points with 12 rebounds and a game-best five steals.
• He followed that performance with 13 points, 11 rebounds and two steals to help Saint Xavier earn its first win of the year, 73-62 over University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy (Mo.) the next day.

Saint Xavier (1-1/0-0 CCAC) plays their home opener on Saturday, November 7 vs. Clarke University (Iowa) at the Shannon Center. The game is set for a 5:00 pm start in Chicago, Ill.