BiG Ten News

Six Big Ten Basketball Students Named Senior CLASS Award Candidates

Seniors from six conference schools among preseason candidates for award celebrating excellence on and off the court

 

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Six Big Ten basketball seniors from six conference schools are among 60 candidates for the 2018-19 Senior CLASS Award, which is presented annually to one male and one female senior student who have made notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

 

Indiana forward Juwan Morgan, Nebraska forward Isaac Copeland Jr. and Wisconsin forward Ethan Happ are the Big Ten men’s basketball representatives on this year’s Senior CLASS Award candidate list. On the women’s side, Iowa forward/center Megan Gustafson, Michigan center Hallie Thome and Penn State guard Teniya Page are the Big Ten students chosen as Senior CLASS Award candidates.

 

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

 

Each of the 30 candidate classes will be narrowed to fields of 10 finalists in February, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one male and one female recipient.

 

This year’s Senior CLASS Award honorees will be announced during the 2019 NCAA Men’s Final Four® and NCAA Women’s Final Four® this spring. For more information on each of the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.

 

 

Michigan Sweeps Weekly Big Ten Men’s Basketball Honors

Michigan’s Jordan Poole collects Player of Week; Wolverines Ignas Brazdeikis named Freshman of the Week

 

Player of the Week

Jordan Poole, Michigan

G – So. – 6-5 – Milwaukee, Wis. – La Lumiere School

• Helped Wolverines to a pair of wins over ranked teams last week with an 84-67 victory over #11 North Carolina and a 76-57 win over #19 Purdue
• Averaged 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the two wins
• Shot 63.6 percent from the floor (14-of-22) including 76.9 percent from 3-point range (10-of-13) on the week
• Connected on five 3-pointers in each victory including 5-of-5 against Purdue as he tallied 21 points in the win
• Earns his first career Big Ten Player of the Week honor
• Last Michigan Player of the Week: Derrick Walton Jr. (March 6, 2017)

Freshman of the Week

Ignas Brazdeikis, Michigan

G/F – 6-7 – Oakville, Ontario – Orangeville Prep

• Averaged 18.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in helping the Wolverines to a pair of wins over ranked teams
• Shot 65 percent (13-of-20) from the floor including 4-of-7 from 3-point range on the week
• Opened the week with his third straight 20-plus point game with a career-best 24 points in Michigan’s win over #11 North Carolina
• Earns his first Freshman of the Week honor
• Last Michigan Freshman of the Week: Aubrey Dawkins (March 9, 2015)

2018-19 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Players of the Week

Nov. 12     

P: Carsen Edwards, Jr., PUR

P: Ethan Happ, Sr., WIS

F: Jalen Smith, MD

 

Nov. 19     

P: Ethan Happ, Sr., WIS

F: Romeo Langford, IND

 

Nov. 26     

P: Cassius Winston, Jr., MSU

P: Ethan Happ, Sr., WIS

F: Gabe Kalscheur, MINN

 

Dec. 3       

P: Jordan Poole, So., MICH

F: Ignas Brazdeikis, MICH

Gustafson Registers 4th Straight B1G Honor

 

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa senior Megan Gustafson earned her fourth consecutive Big Ten Player of the Week award, the conference office announced Monday.

 

Gustafson averaged 29.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in a pair of games this week, shooting 77.4 percent from the field and 90.9 percent from the free throw line. In an ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup against No. 1 Notre Dame, Gustafson netted 26 points on 11-for-16 shooting (68.8 percent). She also registered 10 rebounds to collect her 60th career double-double.

 

On Sunday, Gustafson scored a season-high 32 points on 13-of-15 shooting (86.6 percent) from the field in just 23 minutes action against Robert Morris. The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. She pulled down 12 rebounds to notch the 61st double-double of her career.

 

Gustafson is three rebounds shy of tying Iowa’s all-time career rebounding record of 1,067 (Cindy Haugejorde, 1980). She is 23 points away from reaching 2,000 career points.

 

The conference award is the 14th of Gustafson’s career and fourth of the season. She broke a Big Ten single-season record last season with nine Player of the Week honors. She was also named to the conference’s weekly honor roll six times.

 

Gustafson and the No. 16/15 Hawkeyes return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday, hosting Iowa State in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. (CT). Tickets are $12 for adults and free for youth (18 & younger) and UI students.