Big Ten Players of the Week (12/9)

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MEN

Player of the Week
Luka Garza, Iowa
C – Jr. – 6-11 – Washington, D.C. – Maret School – Major: Business

• Averaged 33.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 55.3 percent from a floor in a pair of Iowa games
• Scored a career-high 44 points at Michigan, which are the most points ever scored by an Iowa big man in a single game, and third-most in school history
• His 44-point effort was the biggest by any Hawkeye since John Johnson scored a school-record 49 points in 1970
• The 44 points were the most scored by an opposing player in Crisler Center history and second all-time at the venue behind Rudy Tomjanovich’s 48 for Michigan vs. Indiana in 1969
• Tallied his 1,000th career point in the game against the Wolverines
• Became the first Big Ten player to score 40 or more points without a 3-point field goal since Jared Sullinger did so in 2010
• His 17 made field goals tied for third-most in a game in Iowa history, which Bruce King last achieved in 1976
• The 44 points are the most by a Big Ten player this season and believed to be the most by a Big Ten player since Purdue’s Glenn Robinson scored 44 vs. Kansas in 1994
• In the Hawkeyes’ win at Syracuse in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Garza posted game-highs in scoring (23) and rebounding (nine)
• Earns the first Player of the Week accolade of his career; he was a two-time Freshman of the Week honoree in 2017-18
• Last Iowa Player of the Week: Peter Jok (Dec. 12, 2016)

Freshman of the Week
Kofi Cockburn, Illinois
C – Fr. – 7-0 – Kingston, Jamaica – Oak Hill Academy (Va.) – Major: General Studies

• Averaged 16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 12-of-15 (80 percent) from the floor and 8-of-9 (88.9 percent) from the foul line in a pair of Illini contests
• Tied a career-high with 23 points against Miami (Fla.) in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, his third 20-point game of the season
• Shot a perfect 8-of-8 from the floor against the Hurricanes, the best mark by a Big Ten player this season, and best by an Illini since 2016
• At No. 3 Maryland, tallied nine points and grabbed eight rebounds
• Earns the third Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor of his career
• Becomes the first Illinois player to earn Freshman of the Week three times in a season in Big Ten history
• Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Kofi Cockburn (Nov. 25, 2019)

 

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Co-Player of the Week
Taiye Bello, Minnesota
F – Sr. – Southfield, Mich. – Southfield-Lathrup – Major: Info Tech Infrastructure
• Averaged 20.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.0 steals per game with two double-doubles and a .586 field-goal percentage in Minnesota’s road wins at Notre Dame and American last week
• Gathered 16 points, a season-high 16 rebounds and five blocks in Dec. 4 win at Notre Dame in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge
• Scored a career-high 25 points and added 10 rebounds in Sunday’s win at American
• Chosen for Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2017-18
• Earns her first Big Ten Player of the Week award
• Last Minnesota Player of the Week: Carlie Wagner (Feb. 19, 2018)

Co-Player of the Week
Kamaria McDaniel, Penn State
G – Jr. – Inkster, Mich. – Dearborn Heights Robichaud – Major: Agricultural Sciences
• Scored a career-high 40 points and grabbed seven rebounds in Penn State’s win over visiting Pittsburgh on Dec. 5 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge
• Set a Bryce Jordan Center record for points in a game while recording the third 40-point game in PSU history and the most by a Big Ten student this season
• Tallied the most points by a Lady Lion since Dec. 28, 2001, when Kelly Mazzante scored a school-record 49 points at Minnesota
• Named an Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2018-19
• Receives her first Big Ten Player of the Week accolade
• Last Penn State Player of the Week: Teniya Page (Dec. 19, 2016)

Freshman of the Week
Kierstan Bell, Ohio State
G – Canton, Ohio – Canton McKinley – Major: Undeclared
• Averaged 14.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game with a .625 field-goal percentage to help Ohio State to wins over No. 2/2 Louisville and Radford last week
• Scored 14 points and added six rebounds in the Dec. 5 victory over Louisville in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, marking the first top-two non-conference win for a Big Ten school since the 2004-05 season
• Contributed 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting (3-of-3 from three-point range) in Sunday’s win over Radford
• Collects her first Freshman of the Week award
• Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Dorka Juhász (Feb. 18, 2019)