RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Ouachita junior forward Christian Parks claimed the final Great American Conference Player of the Week honor of the 2025-26 regular season, punctuating a dominant weekend that underscored his emergence as the league's most impactful interior force.
The Meridian, Mississippi native is a three-time GAC Defensive Player of the Week selection (Weeks 8, 10 and 12), enforcing a presence on both ends of the floor. Parks finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks in Thursday's home finale to secure his third double-double of the season and lead the Tigers to a win over Southern Arkansas. He followed that performance with a career-high 23 points and 12 rebounds in the regular season finale against Arkansas-Monticello for his fourth double-double of his junior campaign.
Across two games, Parks totaled 37 points on an immaculate 18-for-24 (75%) shooting from the floor. Ouachita's rim protector collected 23 rebounds and rejected six shots, averaging 18.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3 blocks per game to anchor the defense.
The league's leading shot blocker met the Muleriders at the rim for five rejections in the home finale, which broke Ouachita's single-season blocks record with 66. Parks finished the regular season with 67 blocks, which ranks ninth among all NCAA Division II players. He ranks second in the GAC with an efficient 70% field goal percentage, averaging 9.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.
His presence in the paint has been key to Ouachita's defensive identity all season as Parks sits third the league in total rebounding. The Tigers restrict opponents to just 27% shooting from beyond the arc, lowest rate in the nation. Ouachita allows just 62 points per contest, third-lowest among D2 schools.
Much of the success stems from Parks' ability to alter attempts around the rim and clean the glass after the often missed shot. The Tigers sit sixth in the nation holding opponents to just 39% shooting from the floor, proving Ouachita is one of the most difficult teams in America to score against.
As the No. 2 seed, Ouachita opens the first game of the GAC Tournament against No. 7 seed Southwestern Oklahoma State on Thursday, with tip-off set at noon inside Northside Arena in Fort Smith.
