Russell Sweeps B1G Weekly Awards for Second Time This Season – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 9, 2015
Additional Info
For the second time this season, Ohio State freshman guard D’Angelo Russell has swept both the Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Week awards. Russell now has a pair of B1G POW honors and six FOW awards.
The Buckeyes are 18-6 overall and 7-4 in the Big Ten. Russell, the nation’s top freshman scorer at 19.5 points per game, averaged 21.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists last week, helping the Buckeyes to a split in road games at Purdue (L, 60-58) and Rutgers (W, 79-60).
Against Rutgers, Russell recorded the fourth triple-double in Ohio State history with 23 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists.
The feat was the first by an Ohio State freshman, the first by a freshman this year in college basketball, the first for a Buckeye vs. a Big Ten opponent and the first on the road.
Russell is the third Ohio State player to record a triple-double. Dennis Hopson was the first with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists vs. Ohio University at St. John Arena Dec. 6, 1986. The Buckeyes won that game 93-75.
Evan Turner had two triple-doubles during his junior National Player of the Year campaign in 2009-10. The first was a 14-point, 17-rebound, 10-assist effort vs. Alcorn State Nov. 9, 2009 at Value City Arena. The second was Nov. 28, 2009 at home vs. Lipscomb in an 84-64 win. He tallied 16 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in that game.
With sweep of Big Ten weekly honors Monday, Ohio State now has tallied the most Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors and the most Big Ten Player of the Week laurels earned by freshmen. The Buckeyes’ 13 freshman Big Ten Player of the Week honors are one more than Indiana and the 20 Big Ten Freshman of the Week recipients are one more than Indiana and Michigan. Jared Sullinger garnered Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors 12 times, while Russell has accomplished the feat six times and Aaron Craft and Deshaun Thomas picked up the award once each.
The Buckeyes return to action at home Wednesday vs. Penn State (7 p.m./BTN).
Player and Freshman of the Week
D’Angelo Russell, Ohio State
G – 6-5 – Fr. – Louisville, Ky. – Montverde Academy
- Averaged 21.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game, with a triple-double against Rutgers, in the Buckeyes’ road split against Purdue and the Scarlet Knights
- For the week, posted an assist/turnover ratio of 3.2 (16 assists, 5 turnovers) and shot 48.4 percent (15-of-31) from the field
- Scored 20 points, pulled down seven rebounds, handed out five assists and tallied two steals at Purdue
- Scored 23 points, corralled 11 rebounds and dished out a career-high 11 assists at Rutgers, becoming the first freshman in the nation to post a triple-double this season
- In conference play, currently leads the Big Ten with 21.7 points per game, 5.5 assists per contest and 34 total three-pointers
- Earns his second career Big Ten Player of the Week honor
- Collects his sixth Big Ten Freshman of the Week nod, and fourth in a row
- Last Ohio State Player of the Week: D’Angelo Russell (Jan. 26, 2015)
