BiG Ten News and Notes

Credit Source: The Athletic Departments of each University

Penn State Opens Big Ten Tournament Wednesday Night vs. Minnesota

Nittany Lions and Gophers tip off at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Postseason play begins for the Penn State men’s basketball team Wednesday night when the Nittany Lions take on Minnesota in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tipoff from Indianapolis is slated for approximately 8:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network. The 2021-22 Penn State men’s basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.

FOLLOW ALONG

• TV: Big Ten Network – Brandon Gaudin (pxp), Robbie Hummel (analyst), Andy Katz (sideline)
• RADIO: Penn State Sports Network (PDF) with Steve Jones and Dick Jerardi – 103.7 FM & 1450 AM
• NATIONAL RADIO:  Sirius Ch. 84 | XM Ch. 84 | SXM App Ch. 84
• LIVE STATS: Live Stats
• GAME NOTES: Penn State Notes | Minnesota Notes
• BIG TEN TOURNAMENT: Bracket | Tournament Central

OPENING TIPS

• The 2022 postseason begins Wednesday night when the 11th-seeded Nittany Lions take on the 14th-seeded Gophers in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
• The two teams split the regular-season series, with the home team winning each contest.
• Four Nittany Lions are averaging double-digit points, led by Jalen Pickett’s 12.8 ppg. Seth Lundy (12.4 ppg) and Sam Sessoms (11.4 ppg) follow, while All-Big Ten honorable mention pick John Harrar is averaging a double-double with 10.5 ppg and 10.3 rpg.

IF PENN STATE BEATS MINNESOTA

• Penn State would move on to Thursday’s night’s 9 p.m. second-round game against sixth-seeded Ohio State.
• The Nittany Lions would earn their first-ever win over Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament.

SCOUTING THE GOPHERS

• The Gophers are the No. 14 seed in the Big Ten Tournament after finishing conference play with a 4-16 mark that is part of a 13-16 overall record.
• Minnesota enters the postseason having lost its last four games and six of its last seven. The Gophers dropped a 75-62 decision at Northwestern Sunday night in their regular-season finale.
• Jamison Battle leads Minnesota with 17.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Payton Willis follows with 16.1 points per contest and team-best 123 assists.

AGAINST MINNESOTA

• Penn State and Minnesota split the regular-season series, with the home team winning each matchup. Minnesota won the season’s first meeting, 76-70, in Minneapolis on Feb. 12. Penn State earned a dominant 67-46 win over the Gophers inside the Bryce Jordan Center just five days later.
• The 21-point victory was Penn State’s largest-ever win over Minnesota and the Nittany Lions were led by Jalen Pickett (20 points), Myles Dread (12 points) and John Harrar (10 points and 10 rebounds).
• The Gophers own a 4-0 all-time advantage over Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament, and last met in the 2019 second round, a 77-72 overtime victory for Minnesota.

TOURNEY TIME

• March Madness is here and Penn State opens up postseason play in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament Wednesday night against Minnesota.
• A win on Wednesday would advance Penn State to Thursday’s second round, where the Nittany Lions would face sixth-seeded Ohio State at approximately 9 p.m. The winner of Thursday’s second-round game advances to Friday’s quarterfinals to take on third-seeded Purdue.
• Penn State looks to win a game at the Big Ten Tournament for the fourth time in the last five completed tournaments (not including 2020 which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The Nittany Lions have never won a Big Ten Tournament championship, but did advance to the championship game in 2011.
• Minnesota and Penn State have met four times in Big Ten Tournament history, with the Gophers winning all four matchups. The two teams last met in the 2019 second round, with the seventh-seeded Gophers earning a 77-72 overtime victory over the 10th-seeded Nittany Lions.

FIRE POWER VS. THE GOPHERS

• The Penn State offense put together its best two shooting efforts of the season in the Nittany Lions’ two regular season games against Minnesota on Feb. 12 and Feb. 17.
• Penn State shot a season-high 54.7 percent (29-53) from the field and 53.3 (8-15) from deep in the season’s first meeting on Feb. 12 in Minneapolis. The Nittany Lions then shot the second-best mark of the season in the Feb. 17 contest, a 53.8 percent (28-52) clip from the floor and 50.0 percent (7-14) mark from 3-point range.

CLOSE BATTLES

• The Nittany Lions have consistently found themselves in close games as 13 of Penn State’s 20 Big Ten contests have been decided by seven points or less.
• Five of Penn State’s seven Big Ten wins have come by seven points or less: Indiana (61-58), at Northwestern (74-70), Iowa (90-86, 2OT), #19 Michigan State (62-58), and Northwestern (67-60).
• Eight of Penn State’s 13 Big Ten losses have come by seven points or less: #3 Purdue (67-74), at #16 Ohio State (56-61), at #11 Wisconsin (49-51), Michigan (57-58), at Minnesota (70-76), at Maryland (61-67), at #20 Illinois (55-60), and at Rutgers (58-59).
• Including non-conference play, 10 of Penn State’s 16 losses this season came by seven points or less.

DE-FENSE!

• The Nittany Lions wrapped up the conference season with the Big Ten’s best scoring defense against league foes, giving up just 66.2 points per Big Ten contest.
• The Nittany Lions have held three opponents to under 50 points this season – Jan. 17 vs. Minnesota (67-46 Win), Jan. 11 vs. Rutgers (66-49 Win), and Nov. 27 vs. Oregon State (60-45 Win). Penn State has held its opponent under 60 points 11 times this season.
• Penn State’s current overall mark of 65.25 points per game allowed tracks to be the Nittany Lions’ best defensive season since 2010-11 when Penn State surrendered just 62.5 ppg.

THE ALL-B1G BIG FELLA

• Graduate student John Harrar collected All-Big Ten accolades for the second-straight year after being named All-Big Ten honorable mention by both the conference coaches and media.
• Harrar finished the regular season as one of just two Big Ten players averaging a double-double with 10.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. His 10.3 rebounds per game rank second in the Big Ten and 11th in all of Division I.
• He leads the Big Ten and ranks seventh nationally with 3.57 offensive boards per game, the second-straight season in which he has led the conference on the offensive glass.
• The Wallingford, Pa. native tallied 11 double-doubles this season, pulled down double-digit rebounds in 14 contests, and is shooting 64.8 percent (114-176) from the field. His 64.8 percent clip tracks to be the second-best single-season percentage in program history, behind only Mike Watkins’ mark of 68.5 percent in 2017-18.
• Harrar is currently a 59.7 percent (290-486) career shooter, a mark that is tied with Watkins for the best career shooting percentage in Penn State history.
• Harrar owns 17 career double-doubles, the eighth most in Penn State history.
• He needs just two points to become the sixth-ever Nittany Lion to record both 800 career points and 800 career rebounds. His 821 career rebounds are the fifth-most all-time by a Nittany Lion.
• Harrar became Penn State’s all-time leader in games played on March 3 at #20 Illinois when he suited up for his 142nd-career contest in the Blue & White.
• Harrar was also named Penn State’s recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for the third-straight season. The undisputed leader of the Nittany Lions, Harrar’s work ethic, determination and leadership have consistently been praised by opposing coaches and national media alike.

PICKETT’S POP

• Senior transfer Jalen Pickett finished the conference season averaging 13.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds per Big Ten contest.
• The Rochester, N.Y. native enters the Big Ten Tournament needing just two points to hit the 1,500-career point mark. He ranks 17th amongst active career Division I leaders with 583 career assists.
• Pickett is nearing an impressive multi-faceted achievement of 1,500 career points (needs 2), 500 career assists (has 583), and 500 career rebounds (needs 13). There are currently only three active Division I players that have achieved all three: Marreon Jackson of Arizona State, Conley Garrison of Furman and Terrell Brown Jr. of Washington.
• Pickett’s 37.0 minutes per game leads the Big Ten and ranks 12th in the country. His 2.45 assist-to-turnover ratio is a top-35 mark in the country.

LOCKDOWN LUNDY

• Junior Seth Lundy is the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 12.4 points per game. But it’s his defense that has stolen the show as he proves himself as one of the best defenders in the Big Ten.
• Take a look at the work he’s done on some of the nation’s best that he has been tasked with guarding, including Big Ten Player of the Year Johnny Davis who had his only single-digit scoring game of the season when matched up with Lundy:

Team – Player Guarded by Lundy	Season Average	Vs. Penn State
Wisconsin – Johnny Davis – B1G POY *Davis’ only single-digit scoring effort of the season*	20.0 ppg, 44.6 FG%	4 points, 2-13 FG
Purdue – Jaden Ivey – All-B1G 1st	17.2 ppg, 45.9 FG%	12 points, 5-15 FG
Ohio State – EJ Liddell – All-B1G 1st	19.4 ppg, 49.5 FG%	14 points, 4-9 FG
Rutgers – Ron Harper Jr. – All-B1G 2nd	15.6 ppg, 43.2 FG%	7 points, 2-9 FG
Minnesota – Jamison Battle – All-B1G HM	17.4 ppg, 45.1 FG%	8 points, 3-7 FG
Miami (Fla.) – Kam McGusty – All-ACC 1st	17.5 ppg, 47.4 FG%	12 points, 5-10 FG
LSU – Darius Days – All-SEC 2nd	13.6 ppg, 43.0 FG%	8 points, 4-14 FG

SESSOMS’ SPARK

• Senior Sam Sessoms has been a key spark off the bench this season and currently ranks third on the team with 11.4 points per game and second with 2.9 assists per contest.
• Sessoms has 17 double-digit scoring games this season and tied his Big Ten career-best with 18 points at Minnesota on Feb. 12.
• He scored his 1,600th career point during Penn State’s victory over #19 Michigan State on Feb. 15.

DREAD FROM DEEP

• Senior Myles Dread has drilled the fifth-most 3-pointers in Penn State history. He drilled his 200th career 3-pointer in Penn State’s Jan. 5 win at Northwestern, making him the seventh Nittany Lion to ever reach 200 career triples. He currently has 226 career treys, the fifth-most all-time at Penn State.
• Dread has proven to have a knack for clutch shots, most recently hitting the game-tying basket to force double overtime in Penn State’s 90-86 2OT win over Iowa on Jan. 31.
• The senior is currently shooting 38.9 percent (49-126) from deep this season, by far the most efficient mark of his career. He shot 35.6% from three as a freshman, 31.9% as a sophomore, and 34.6% as a junior.

UP NEXT

• Should Penn State win Wednesday’s game vs. Minnesota, the Nittany Lions would advance to Thursday’s second round and take on sixth-seeded Ohio State at approximately 9 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.

Liddell and Branham Earn All-Big Ten Accolades
Branham is the 8^th Buckeye to be named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year

2021-22 All-Big Ten Teams

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State junior forward E.J. Liddell and freshman guard Malaki Branham have each earned All-Big Ten honors as announced by the conference on Tuesday. Balloting was done by the leagues 14 head coaches as well as members of the media.

Liddell earns first team honors for the second consecutive season. He is the 18^th Buckeye to earn All-Big Ten honors multiple times and the first to be named first team All-Big Ten in back-to-back years since Jared Sullinger in 2011-12. Branham was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in addition to earning third team honors. Branham is the eighth Buckeye to be named the conference’s Freshman of the Year. Liddell also earned All-Defensive Team honors while Branham earned All-Freshman Team accolades.

Liddell is having a tremendous all-around season. He’s averaging 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.6 assists per game. He has scored in double figures in every game and has 12 games of 20 or more points. The Belleville, Ohio native has eight double-doubles on the year and is the only player in the country with averages at or above 19.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.5 assists.

Branham is averaging 13.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting over 49 percent from the floor. He is one of just five freshmen national and one of only two from a Power 5 school to have multiple 30-point games this season, and both of his came on the road. Branham has really stepped up down the stretch of the season as he has scored in double figures in eight consecutive games.

Branham joins Jim Jackson (1990), Greg Simpson (1993), Michael Redd (1998), Greg Oden (2007), William Buford (2009), Jared Sullinger (2011) and D’Angelo Russell (2015) as Buckeyes to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He is also the first Buckeye rookie to earn All-Big Ten honors since Russell in 2015.

With Liddell and Branham’s selections, Ohio State now has 76 total All-Big Ten honorees (27 forwards, 32 guards and 17 centers).

Justin Ahrens was named Ohio State’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honoree. The senior from Versailles, Ohio has made multiple three-pointers in a game 11 times this season and is six threes away from the Top 10 in program history. The Buckeye captain is averaging 5.3 points per game and is shooting over 36 percent from beyond the arc.

The No. 6-seed Buckeyes open Big Ten tournament play at approximately 9 p.m. ET Thursday (BTN) against the winner of the opening-round matchup between No. 11 seed Penn State and No. 14 seed Minnesota.

Mikesell Among Five Finalists for Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award

The award recognizes the top shooting guard in collegiate women’s basketball.

   

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the five finalists for the Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award on Tuesday, with Ohio State senior guard Taylor Mikesell being named as one of those five. This award honors the top shooting guard in collegiate women’s basketball. View complete top-five list HERE.

 

The winner will be selected on Friday, March 25 by a combination of a selection committee and fan vote. By visiting hoophallawards.com, fans will have the ability to vote, beginning Friday, March 11 and running until Thursday, March 24. The player that wins the fan voting will receive one additional vote for the award.

 

Mikesell was named All-Big Ten First Team by both the coaches and media following the conclusion of the regular season and earned a spot on the conference’s weekly honor roll three times. She’s averaging 18.8 points per game this season and led the team with 19.9 ppg during Big Ten play. Mikesell has scored in double figures 25 times, surpassed the 20-point plateau in 11 games and has two games with over 30 points – both of which were career-highs. She’s made at least one triple in every game this season and accounts for 43 percent of the team’s three-pointers.

 

Mikesell has consistently ranked in the top-two in the country for her long-range shooting and now ranks second in three-point percentage (.467), three-pointers per game (3.62) and three-pointers made (105). All these marks lead the Big Ten, where she also ranks fifth in field goal percentage (.483, second among true guards) and seventh in scoring (18.8 ppg). She currently holds the program’s career record in three-point percentage (.467, good for second in single-season records).

 

Mikesell ranks 17^th in program history with 105 three-pointers made, despite this being her first season at Ohio State. Among single-season program records, she ranks sixth in three-pointers made and seventh in three-pointers attempted. With her 5-of-5 performance from behind the arc on Jan. 20, Mikesell became one of just five players in program history to shoot 1.000 from long range with at least five makes. Her eight three-pointers on Jan. 6 were just one shy of the single-game program record and marked the ninth time a player has made at least eight triples in a game.

MINNEAPOLIS – University of Minnesota’s Jamison Battle and Payton Willis were named All-Big Ten Honorable Mentions by both coaches and media, while Eric Curry was named Minnesota’s Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree. The All-Big Ten teams and yearly awards were announced on Big Ten Network and the conference office Tuesday, March 8, 2022 heading into the Big Ten Tournament. It marks the first postseason Big Ten awards for all three individuals.

Making the jump from the A10 to Big Ten this past year, Battle has continued to impress, averaging a team-best 17.4 points per game. That marks a season-best for the sophomore, to lead the team and sixth among league athletes. Battle also leads the Gophers in rebounds per game at 6.3, marking the first Gopher since Daniel Oturu (2019-20) to lead the team in both categories. The Robbinsdale, Minn., product has scored double-digit points in 26 games this season, including 11 with over 20 points. He also established a team-best 39 points in the Maryland game, which tied sixth in school history for points in a game. In the Northwestern win Feb. 19, Battle had 21 points, a career-best 14 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. Battle was named a Third Team All-A10 athlete at George Washington last season where he averaged 17.3 ppg.

Willis is having his best point performance season of his collegiate career. The senior from Fayetteville, Ark., averages 16.1 ppg, which ranks second on the team and 10th within the Big Ten. His 16.1 ppg betters his 13.4 he averaged last year at College of Charleston and 8.9 his first time at Minnesota. Willis also leads the league in best three-point efficiency at 43.2 percent and ranks ninth nationally. Both he and Battle average 2.57 three-pointers per game, which is second among conference athletes. The starting point guard leads the team with 123 assists and averages 4.39 per game, good enough for eighth in the league. Willis was also a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week after the Mississippi State and Rutgers wins.

Despite missing a few games due to injuries, Curry is still having his best point production season of his Gopher career. The senior from Memphis, Tenn., averages 7.6 ppg, bettering his 3.7 ppg he had in 2020-21 and 5.5 in his freshman year. Curry has started in 25 games this year and averages 27.4 minutes played, both career highs for Curry. He averages 5.8 rebounds per game this season.

Five Boilermakers Honored by Big Ten Conference

 

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue men’s basketball program capped off an impressive regular season by picking up six All-Big Ten honors, the league office announced Tuesday afternoon.

 

For their roles in Purdue’s 25-6 regular-season mark, Jaden Ivey, Zach Edey, Trevion Wlliams, Sasha Stefanovic and Eric Hunter Jr., each picked up All-Big Ten accolades.

 

In voting done by the league’s coaches, Sophomore Jaden Ivey was named to the first team, Zach Edey to the second team, Trevion Williams on the third team, Sasha Stefanovic was named to the honorable mention squad and Eric Hunter Jr., was selected to the All-Defensive Team.

 

Williams also became Purdue’s second recipient of the Sixth Man of the Year Award (D.J. Byrd – 2012) and Stefanovic, who is also a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, was named the team’s Sportsmanship Award winner.

 

The media list was the same for the Boilermakers, with the exception of the All-Defense Team, in which the media does not vote on.

 

Since the 2015-16 season, Purdue has had a league-best six first-team All-Big Ten selections (A.J. Hammons – 2016; Caleb Swanigan – 2017; Carsen Edwards – 2018; Carsen Edwards – 2019; Trevion Williams – 2021; Jaden Ivey – 2022).

 

Jaden Ivey / Sophomore / Guard / South Bend, Indiana / First Team All-Big Ten

• Recently named a second-team All-American by The Sporting News, Ivey averaged 17.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in Big Ten play.
• He is the eighth Purdue underclassmen (freshman or sophomore) since 1950 to be named first-team All-Big Ten (Terry Dischinger, Dave Schellhase, Rick Mount, Glenn Robinson, JaJuan Johnson, Caleb Swanigan, Carsen Edwards).
• One of two underclassmen (Duke’s Paulo Banchero) to score 500 points with 140 rebounds, 90 assists, 30 steals and 15 blocked shots.
• Ivey needs just 84 points, eight rebounds and nine assists to become the second player in school history to have 600 points, 150 rebounds and 100 assists in a season (Caleb Swanigan – 2017).
• Ivey has played his best against ranked teams, averaging 19.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 14-of-34 (.412) from long distance in six games. He was outstanding in a win over No. 18 North Carolina with 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, then added 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists against No. 5 Villanova.
• Had one of the signature moments of the college basketball season in an 81-78 win over No. 16 Ohio State, hitting a fadeaway 25-footer as the clock expired for the buzzer-beating victory.
• Three games later, he tallied 26 points with six assists and four rebounds to finish a season sweep of Illinois. He also had 25 points with four assists in a big win over a Rutgers team that had won four straight games against nationally-ranked teams.
• Ivey tied a school record for most 3-pointers made without a miss with a 6-of-6 performance against Butler in the final edition of the Crossroads Classic.

 

Zach Edey / Sophomore / Center / Toronto, Ontario / Second Team All-Big Ten

• Named second-team All-Big Ten after averaging 14.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 blocks per game in just 20.1 minutes per contest.
• One of five Big Ten players to reach those marks in conference play, but his 20.1 minutes played were the fewest by 11.7 minutes (Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis; 31.8 minutes per game).
• Per 40 minutes, Edey is averaging 30.7 points, 15.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Per 100 possessions, Edey is at a staggering 45.7 points and 23.5 rebounds.
• Leads the country in offensive rating (128.1) and his career offensive rating is the best for a player nationally in the last 15 years.
• He is one of four players nationally in the last 15 years to average at least 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 blocks in under 25 minutes (A.J. Hammons, DeMarcus Cousins are two of them).
• Leads the Big Ten and the country in field goal percentage (.667), which ranks tied for fourth in a season in school history.
• His career 64.2 field goal percentage is second in school history behind Stephen Scheffler, and is fifth in the NCAA among active players.
• Has recorded 55 dunks this season, the second most in school history (Joe Barry Carroll – 70).
• Leads the team with eight double-doubles and has nine 20-point games. In games that he starts during his career, Purdue is 24-5.

 

Trevion Williams / Senior / Center / Chicago, Illinois / Third Team All-Big Ten / 6^th Man of the Year

• Named third-team All-Big Ten and Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 11.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.9 steals in just 19.5 minutes per game. Shot 49.2 percent from the field and 50.0 percent (4-of-8) from 3-point range.
• Ranks 7^th on Purdue’s career rebounds list (857) and 28^th on the career scoring chart (1,327). Needs just three rebounds to become the third player in school history (Joe Barry Carroll, Terry Dischinger) with three seasons of 230 or more rebounds.
• Is 1-of-4 Purdue players (Walter Jordan, Robbie Hummel, Brad Miller) and 1-of-4 active players nationally to have 1,300 points, 850 rebounds and 200 assists.
• Owns seven double-doubles (28 for career) and has scored 20 or more points five times this season.
• Named a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week and his four career honors are the fifth most in Purdue history.

 

Sasha Stefanovic / Senior / Guard / Crown Point, Indiana / Honorable Mention All-Big Ten

• Named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten after averaging 11.0 points, 2.9 assists and 2.5 rebounds with 47 made 3-pointers in Big Ten play.
• His 218 career trifectas rank seventh in school history.
• Finished the regular season with 79 3-pointers, good for second in the Big Ten and tied for 11^th on Purdue’s single-season list.
• Needs 52 points to become the seventh player in school history with 1,000 points, 200 rebounds, 200 assists and 200 made 3-pointers.
• Has scored in double-figures in 17 games this season. Purdue is 16-1 when he scores 10 or more points and 34-6 during his career.
• Leads the team with 104 assists and his 2.67 (104 / 39) assist / turnover ratio is just outside the top 10 in a season.

 

Eric Hunter Jr. / Senior / Guard / Indianapolis, Indiana / All-Defensive Team

• Named to the All-Defensive Team after a strong conference season.
• Averaged 7.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in Big Ten play and led the league in 3-point percentage (23-of-43; .535).
• Was assigned the top perimeter player most of the season for the improving Purdue defense.
• Tasked with guarding Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis in the second-to-last game of the year and held him to 5-of-13 shooting with three turnovers. Davis had 37 points in the first meeting.
• Also limited Iowa’s second-leading scorer (Jordan Bohannon) to 10 combined points (2-of-8 3Ps, 4 turnovers) in two games.
• Held Illinois’ Trent Frazier to 1-of-7 shooting (0-of-4 from 3) and two points and two turnovers in a Feb. 8, win over the Illini.
• Northwestern’s Boo Buie was 3-of-10 from the field and 1-of-5 from long range with 11 points and two turnovers in a Feb. 16, victory.
• Becomes Purdue’s league-leading 17th occurrence that a Boilermaker has been named to the All-Defensive Team.

Harrar Collects All-Big Ten Honors

Harrar finished regular-season as one of just two Big Ten players averaging a double-double

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men’s basketball graduate student John Harrar garnered All-Big Ten accolades for the second-straight year after being named All-Big Ten honorable mention by both the conference coaches and media, as announced in the league’s postseason honors Tuesday afternoon.

Harrar finished the regular season as one of just two Big Ten players averaging a double-double with 10.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. His 10.3 rebounds per game rank second in the Big Ten and 11th in all of Division I. He leads the Big Ten and ranks seventh nationally with 3.57 offensive boards per game, the second-straight season in which he has led the conference on the offensive glass.

The Wallingford, Pa. native tallied 11 double-doubles this season, pulled down double-digit rebounds in 14 contests, and is shooting 64.8 percent (114-176) from the field. His 64.8 percent clip tracks to be the second-best single-season percentage in program history, behind only Mike Watkins’ mark of 68.5 percent in 2017-18. Harrar is currently a 59.7 percent (290-486) career shooter, a mark that is tied with Watkins for the best career shooting percentage in Penn State history.

Harrar owns 17 career double-doubles, the eighth most in Penn State history. He needs just two points to become the sixth-ever Nittany Lion to record both 800 career points and 800 career rebounds. His 821 career rebounds are the fifth-most all-time by a Nittany Lion.

Harrar became Penn State’s all-time leader in games played on March 3 at #20 Illinois when he suited up for his 142nd-career contest in the Blue & White.

Harrar was also named Penn State’s recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for the third-straight season. The undisputed leader of the Nittany Lions, Harrar’s work ethic, determination and leadership have consistently been praised by opposing coaches and national media alike.

The Nittany Lions finished tied for 10th in the Big Ten standings and will play as the 11 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. Tournament action begins Wednesday night at approximately 8:30 p.m. when Penn State faces 14-seed Minnesota from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on the Big Ten Network.

COLLEGE PARK, MD – Maryland men’s basketball guards Fatts Russell and Eric Ayala were both named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten, as announced Tuesday by the Big Ten Conference.

Russell earned honorable mention honors from both the coaches and media, while Ayala earned the nod from the media. It marks Ayala’s second All-Big Ten honor, as he was an honorable mention selection last season as well.

Russell currently leads the Terrapins in points (14.9/g), assists (3.6/g) and free throws made (112). He was even more impressive in conference action, averaging 16.3 points/g, including 20.9 points/g over the last eight games of the regular season.

A member of the 2,000-point club, Russell ranks fifth in the Big Ten in free throw pct. (.789) and eighth in both free throws made (112) and attempted (142).

Ayala is second on the Terps with 14.6 points/g and leads the Terps with 72 3-pointers on the season. His 72 makes from beyond the arc are the seventh-most in Maryland single-season history, while his 221 career 3’s rank third in program.

The Wilmington, Del., native is 21st in program history with 1432 career points, and needs just five points to pass Jake Layman to finish his career in the top-20.

Russell, Ayala and the Terrapins return to action Thursday when they take on Michigan State in the second round of the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis.