Around The Big Ten – December 11
Michigan, Maryland earn men’s basketball weekly accolades.
Ju Ju Watkins of USC (Photo: USC/Big Ten)
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Michigan, Maryland Earn Men’s Basketball Weekly Accolades
Wolverines’ Goldin, Terrapins’ Queen net Big Ten weekly honors
Player of the Week
Vladislav Goldin, Michigan
C – Gr. – 7-1 – Voronezh, Russia – Putnam Science Academy
- Averaged 22.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and shot 62.5 percent (15-for-24) from the field, helping Michigan start Big Ten play with a pair of wins against No. 11 Wisconsin and Iowa
- Scored a career-best 24 points, adding five rebounds, three blocks and a steal in the Wolverines’ 67-64 win at Wisconsin
- Posted a second 20-point game and his first double-double at Michigan (11th career) with 20 points and 11 rebounds against the Hawkeyes
- Last Michigan Player of the Week: Hunter Dickinson (Jan. 3, 2024)
Freshman of the Week
Derik Queen, Maryland
C – 6-10 – Baltimore, Md. – Montverde Academy
- Averaged 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds as Maryland opened Big Ten play 1-1 with a win against Ohio State (83-59) and a road loss at No. 8 Purdue (83-78)
- Shot 60.7% (17-28) from the field and was 7-8 from the free throw line, while adding three steals, two assists and two blocks
- In the win against Ohio State, Queen posted 17 points and 11 rebounds with two steals
- Tallied a career-best 26 points and 12 rebounds with two blocks, one assist and one steal at Purdue
- Earns his second Freshman of the Week award
- Last Maryland Freshman of the Week: Derik Queen (Nov. 25, 2024)
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Player of the Week
JuJu Watkins, USC
Sophomore – Guard – Los Angeles, Calif. – Sierra Canyon
• Averaged 30.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 blocks during USC’s two wins
• Set a new USC record with nine made three-pointers against California Baptist
• Shot a career-high 9-for-11 from beyond the arc on her way to a season-best 40 points versus the Lancers
• Third Big Ten women’s basketball player in the last 25 years to score 40 points and nine three-pointers in a game
• Added 21 points against Oregon
• Earns her first Big Ten Player of the Week award
• Last USC Player of the Week: JuJu Watkins (Dec. 9, 2024)
Big Ten Women’s Basketball Weekly Honor Roll
Cotie McMahon, OSU: Scored a season-high 25 points, five rebounds and three assists against No. 21 Illinois
Serah Williams, WIS: Dropped 20 points, 13 rebounds and a career-best six assists while shooting 70 percent (7-of-10) versus Rutgers
Julia Ayrault, MSU: Earned her second straight double-double (17 points, 12 rebounds) against DePaul
Freshman of the Week
Olivia Olson, Michigan
Guard – New Hope, Minn. – Benilde St. Margaret’s
• Finished with a game-high 18 points in Michigan’s win over Northwestern
• Also grabbed six boards and recorded a block in 36 minutes of action
• Started the fourth quarter on a solo 8-0 run to erase the Wolverines’ deficit
• Collects her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week laurel
• Last Michigan Freshman of the Week: Syla Swords (Dec. 2, 2024)
MEN’S HOCKEY
First Star
Tommy Scarfone, Wisconsin
Sr. – G – Montreal, Quebec — RIT (NCAA)
- Made 26 saves in a 4-0 shutout win over top-ranked Michigan State on Dec. 6 in Madison, Wis.; moved into second place for wins (60) among active NCAA goalies
- Followed with 33 saves on Saturday, including four in overtime, in a 3-2 loss to the Spartans
- Finished the Big Ten series with a .952 save percentage (59-of-62) and 1.46 goals-against average
- The RIT transfer secures his first Big Ten weekly award
- Last Wisconsin First Star: Simon Tassy (First Star, Jan. 3, 2024)
Second Star
Nathan Airey, Minnesota
So. – G – Cochrane, Alberta – Cranbook (BCHL)
- Shutout the nation’s eighth-ranked scoring offense in Minnesota’s 6-0 win over No. 6/6 Michigan on Dec. 6 in Minneapolis, Minn.
- Made 32 saves and killed all three Wolverine power play opportunities in recording his first career shutout
- Remains unbeaten on the year with a 9-0-1 record
- The Minnesota letterwinner earns his first Big Ten Star accolade
- Last Minnesota Star recipient: Brody Lamb (Third Star, Dec. 3, 2024)
Third Star
Kristoffer Eberly, Ohio State
So. – G – Pinckney, Mich. — Green Bay (USHL)
- Allowed just two goals as No. 17/16 Ohio State earned a home sweep of Penn State in Big Ten action
- Opened the series with a 22-save shutout in the Buckeyes’ 4-0 win on Dec. 5
- Stopped 49-of-51 shots for a .961 save percentage and 1.00 goals-against average on the weekend
- The OSU Scholar-Athlete collects a Star Award for the first time
- Last Ohio State Star honoree: Riley Thompson (First Star, Nov. 19, 2024)
