BiG Ten Men’s Basketball Honors

Illinois and Iowa Claim Weekly Men’s Basketball Honors

Hawkeye Garza garners honor after 44-point effort at Michigan

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 1,000^th 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)

2019-20 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Players of the Week

Nov. 11

P: Nate Reuvers, Jr., F, WIS

F: Kofi Cockburn, C, ILL

Nov. 18

P: Kaleb Wesson, Jr., C, OSU

F: Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, IND

F: Malik Hall, F, MSU

Nov. 25

P/F: Kofi Cockburn, Fr., C, ILL

Dec. 2

P: Anthony Cowan Jr., Sr., G, MD

P: Jon Teske, Sr., C, MICH

F: Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, IND

Dec. 9

P: Luka Garza, Jr., C, IOWA

F: Kofi Cockburn, C, ILL