BiG Ten Men and Women’s Basketball Weekly Awards

Illinois Sweeps Weekly Men’s Basketball Honors

Giorgi Bezhanishvili earns Player of the Week honor and Ayo Dosunmu claims Freshman of the Week

Player of the Week

Giorgi Bezhanishvili, Illinois
F – Fr. – 6-9 – Rustavi, Georgia – The Patrick School (N.J.) – Division of General Studies

• Averaged 25.5 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 69.0 percent from the floor in helping the Illini to a 2-0 week, defeating No. 9 Michigan State and Rutgers
• Broke Illinois’ 29-year old freshman scoring record (previously held by Deon Thomas with 34 on Dec. 3, 1990) with a career-high 35 points in the Illini’s overtime victory against Rutgers
• His 35 points were the most by an Illinois player in a single game since Malcom Hill scored 40 points on Nov. 13, 2016
• Connected on 14-of-18 from the floor against the Scarlet Knights for the most made field goals in a game by an Illini player since Thomas made 16 field goals in a game in 1991
• Scored 29 of his 35 points in the second half and overtime, including a stretch of 13 consecutive points late in the second half against Rutgers
• In Illinois’ victory over No. 9 Michigan State, posted 16 points and a team-high five rebounds
• Earns the first Big Ten Player of the Week honor of his career
• Last Illinois Player of the Week: Malcolm Hill (Nov. 14, 2016)

Freshman of the Week

Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois

G – 6-5 – Chicago, Ill. – Morgan Park High School – Division of General Studies

• Averaged 18.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in a pair of Illinois victories
• Erupted for a game-high 24 points in lifting the Illini to a win over No. 9 Michigan State
• Connected on 8-of-14 from the floor including 4-of-8 from 3-point range in the victory over the Spartans
• His back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minutes gave Illinois the lead for good and secured the victory, which was the Illini’s first over a Top 10 team since 2013
• Contributed 12 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals in Illinois’ victory over Rutgers
• Earns his first Freshman of the Week honor
• Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Trent Frazier (Feb. 12, 2018)
• Illinois swept Big Ten men’s basketball weekly honors for the first time in school history
• For the first time in Big Ten men’s basketball history, a school claimed both awards with two different freshmen

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

Dec. 10

P: Carsen Edwards, Jr., PUR

P: Ethan Happ, Sr., WIS

F: Romeo Langford, IND

F: Ignas Brazdeikis, MICH

Dec. 17

P: Juwan Morgan, Sr., IND

F: Jalen Smith, MD

Dec. 24

P: Kaleb Wesson, So., OSU

F: Daniel Oturu, MINN

Dec. 31

P: Cassius Winston, Jr., MSU

F: Ignas Brazdeikis, MICH

Jan. 7

P: Nick Ward, Jr., MSU

F: Romeo Langford, IND

Jan. 14

P: Bruno Fernando, So., MD

F: Romeo Langford, IND

Jan. 21

P: Cassius Winston, Jr., MSU

F: Joe Wieskamp, IOWA

Jan. 28

P: Cassius Winston, Jr., MSU

P: Jordan Murphy, Sr., MINN

F: Ignas Brazdeikis, MICH

Feb. 4

P: Carsen Edwards, Jr., PUR

F: Joe Wieskamp, IOWA

Feb. 11

P: Giorgi Bezhanishvili, Fr., ILL

F: Ayo Dosunmu, ILL