Big Ten Announces All-Conference Teams – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 11, 2003
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Park Ridge, IL – For the second time in three years, an Illinois standout has collected the Big Ten’s highest honor as senior Brian Cook was chosen as the Conference Player of the Year in voting by both the coaches and the media. He joins former-teammate Frank Williams, who was honored in 2001, as just the second Illinois player in program history to earn Player of the Year accolades. Cook, one of two unanimous All-Big Ten First Team picks this season, was named the League’s Co-Freshman of the Year in 2000 and was a Second Team selection in both his sophomore and junior campaigns. The 6-10 forward averaged 20.0 points in Big Ten play to become just the second Illinois player in the last 60 years to lead the Conference in scoring, as Kendall Gill topped the League in point production with 20.4 points per outing in 1990. Cook also led the Big Ten with 20.1 points per game in all games, while ranking in the top 10 in rebounding (3rd with 7.1 rpg), field goal percentage (8th at .503) and free throw percentage (10th at .806).
Wisconsin’s Bo Ryan became the first coach in League history to earn Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in each of his first two seasons in the Conference. In voting by the media, Ryan was chosen after leading Wisconsin to its first outright championship since 1947 and its first back-to-back crowns since 1924. He also became just the third coach in Big Ten annals to win titles in each of his first two years, along with Illinois’ Bill Self (2001-02) and fellow-Badgers mentor Walter Meanwell (1912-13). The last individual to nab Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in consecutive seasons was Purdue’s Gene Keady, who was honored on three straight occasions in 1994, 1995 and 1996. In other individual honors, Purdue junior Kenneth Lowe was named the Big Ten Defensive Player by the coaches while Michigan’s Daniel Horton earned Conference Freshman of the Year honors from both the coaches and media. Lowe, who missed the entire 2001-02 campaign due to injury, helped Purdue improve from 10th in scoring defense last year (71.5 ppg) to 6th this season (65.7) as the team won 10 Big Ten games for the first time in three years. He is just the third Boilermaker in school history to collect the Defensive Player of the Year award, along with Porter Roberts (1996) and Ricky Hall (1984). Horton becomes the fifth Wolverine to nab Freshman of the Year honors after ranking sixth in League games only with 16.2 points per game and third with 4.62 assists. He was joined by four other first-year standouts on the first-ever Big Ten All-Freshman Team, as the five-man squad also included Illinois’ James Augustine and Dee Brown, Indiana’s Bracey Wright and Wisconsin’s Alando Tucker.
The 2003 All-Big Ten team was led by senior standouts, as five were featured on the media’s First Team and four were named to the coaches’ top squad. Both First Team All-Big Ten squads included Cook, Wisconsin’s Kirk Penney, Michigan’s LaVell Blanchard and Purdue’s Willie Deane. Indiana senior Jeff Newton was the fifth choice of the media while the coaches picked Minnesota sophomore Rick Rickert for the final slot. Cook and Penney were the only unanimous selections while Penney was the only player to earn First-Team honors for the second straight season.
The complete list of the All-Big Ten awards follows:
2002-03 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Team
As selected by Big Ten coaches
(players names in ALL CAPS have 2003-04 eligibility)
FIRST TEAM LaVell Blanchard, Michigan
Brian Cook, Illinois*
Willie Deane, Purdue
Kirk Penney, Wisconsin*
RICK RICKERT, Minnesota
SECOND TEAM
Brent Darby, Ohio State
DEVIN HARRIS, Wisconsin
CHRIS HILL, Michigan State
DANIEL HORTON, Michigan
Jeff Newton, Indiana
THIRD TEAM
DEE BROWN, Illinois
KENNETH LOWE, Purdue
BERNARD ROBINSON JR., Michigan
BRACEY WRIGHT, Indiana
JITIM YOUNG, Northwestern
HONORABLE MENTION
CHRIS BOOKER, Purdue
MICHAEL BAUER, Minnesota
Tom Coverdale, Indiana
MAURICE HARGROW, Minnesota
Jerry Holman, Minnesota
Chauncey Leslie, Iowa
JARED REINER, Iowa
GLEN WORLEY, Iowa
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
JAMES AUGUSTINE, Illinois
DEE BROWN, Illinois
DANIEL HORTON, Michigan
ALANDO TUCKER, Wisconsin
BRACEY WRIGHT, Indiana
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Brian Cook, Illinois
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:
DANIEL HORTON, Michigan
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
KENNETH LOWE, Purdue
Repeat Performers
First Team: Penney (1st in 2002), Cook (2nd), Rickert (2nd) and Deane (3rd);
Second Team: Darby (2nd);
Third Team: None.
* unanimous
As selected by Big Ten media
(players names in ALL CAPS have 2003-04 eligibility)
FIRST TEAM
LaVell Blanchard, Michigan
Brian Cook, Illinois*
Willie Deane, Purdue
Jeff Newton, Indiana
Kirk Penney, Wisconsin*
SECOND TEAM
DEE BROWN, Illinois
Brent Darby, Ohio State
CHRIS HILL, Michigan State
DANIEL HORTON, Michigan
RICK RICKERT, Minnesota
THIRD TEAM
DEVIN HARRIS, Wisconsin
Chauncey Leslie, Iowa
KENNETH LOWE, Purdue
BERNARD ROBINSON JR., Michigan
BRACEY WRIGHT, Indiana
HONORABLE MENTION
ALAN ANDERSON, Michigan St.
MICHAEL BAUER, Minnesota
SHARIF CHAMBLISS, Penn St.
Tom Coverdale, Indiana
JEFF HORNER, Iowa
JARED REINER, Iowa
ALANDO TUCKER, Wisconsin
Brandon Watkins, Penn State
JITIM YOUNG, Northwestern
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Brian Cook, Illinois
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:
DANIEL HORTON, Michigan
COACH OF THE YEAR:
Bo Ryan, Wisconsin
Repeat Performers
First Team: Penney (1st in 2002), Cook (2nd), Deane (2nd) and Blanchard(3rd);
Second Team: Rickert (2nd) and Darby (3rd);
Third Team: None.
* unanimous
