2003-04 Men's Basketball Big Ten Players of the Week
March 8, 2004
Devin Harris, Wisconsin
JR, G, Milwaukee, WI/Wauwatosa East
Harris nabs the final Player of the Week nod of the season after averaging 22 points on 52 percent shooting to lead Wisconsin to a pair of road triumphs and the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. He connected on 14-of-27 shots on the week, including nine-of-16 from long range (56.3 percent), and added 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest. The junior guard opened the week with 18 points, including nine points in the final 45 seconds of regulation and overtime, as the Badgers knocked off Michigan State in East Lansing, denying the Spartans a share of the Conference title. Harris’ three-pointer with 45 second left tied the game and sent it to the extra session. With less than three minutes remaining in overtime, he scored consecutive baskets and then found Clayton Hanson for an open three-pointer to seal the game with 43 seconds left. In the regular season finale at Indiana, Harris scored 16 of Wisconsin’s first 22 points and finished with 26 points after connecting on eight-of-13 from the field and five-of-eight from three-point range. The Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, as chosen by the media, took temporary possession of the Big Ten scoring lead on Saturday before being edged by percentage points for the scoring crown. Harris concluded the regular season ranked second in League games only with 20.9 points per outing while also rating among the top 10 in three-pointers made (2nd at 2.75), assist-to-turnover ratio (4th at 2.21), assists (6th with 3.88) and steals (7th with 1.62). He collects his third Player of the Week award this season, which equals former-Badger Kirk Penney for the school single-season record, and fourth of his career.
March 1, 2004
Dee Brown, Illinois
SO, G, Maywood, IL/Proviso East
Brown helped Illinois wrap up an undefeated month of February by averaging 19 points on 58 percent shooting both from the field and long range in a pair of victories last week. The Illini sophomore added 6.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game to earn his first Big Ten Player of the Week honor this season. The 6-0 guard opened the week by nearly recording a triple-double with 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in a 19-point victory at Iowa, the Illini’s largest margin of victory in Iowa City since 1954. Brown registered the first double-double of his career while setting a season-high in assists against only one turnover. In the final game of the year in Assembly Hall, he tallied a game-best 20 points against Northwestern, hitting seven-of-10 shots from the field and a scorching five-of seven from three-point range. Brown recorded an assist-to-turnover ratio of 6.0 in the two games, as he racked up 12 assists with only two turnovers in 73 minutes of action. The Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, as selected by the media, ranks second in the Conference with 4.72 assists in all games and second on the team with 12.8 points per outing. The Illini were a perfect 7-0 during the month of February and have won eight straight games, the longest winning streak by any Conference team this season. Brown collects the second Player of the Week award of his career, as he was also honored as a freshman on December 23, 2002.
February 23, 2004
Velimir Radinovic, Ohio State
SR, C, Toronto, Ontario, Canada/T.A. Blakelock
Radinovic connected on an incredible 77.3 percent of his shots and averaged a double-double with 19.5 points and 10 rebounds during a 1-1 week to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career. The Buckeyes senior opened the week by hitting seven-of-eight attempts from the field for 16 points while adding 10 boards, including six off the offensive glass, in a loss to Iowa. He followed up that performance with another double-dip, as he tallied a career-best 23 points on 10-of-14 from the field and corralled another 10 caroms as OSU earned a narrow victory on the road at Indiana. His 23-point effort surpassed his previous career-high of 20 points established at Purdue last season and also pushed him past 700 points for his career, as he now has 716 points while wearing a Buckeyes uniform. The 7-0 center produced back-to-back double-doubles for the first time in his career as he now has three on the season and five in his time in Columbus. Radinovic’s impressive shooting performance continued to build on his Big Ten leading field goal percentage, as he tops the Conference by shooting 67.9 percent from the field in League games only. That percentage is the highest by a Big Ten player since 1990, when Purdue’s Stephen Scheffler set the Conference record by connecting on 76.7 percent of his attempts.
February 16, 2004
Devin Harris, Wisconsin
JR, G, Milwaukee, WI/Wauwatosa East
Harris boosted the Badgers back into first place in the Big Ten race by averaging 24.5 points during a 2-0 week to secure Conference Player of the Week accolades. The junior guard led Wisconsin to a road victory to start the week as he tallied 16 points in Iowa City, including 13 of his team’s final 17 points to hold off a late Hawkeyes rally and clinch the two-point triumph. He connected on 54 percent of his shots against Iowa (7-of-13) and added three steals while playing all 40 minutes. On Saturday, Harris surpassed the 30-point barrier for the third time in his last six outings by pouring in 33 points against Ohio State, connecting on 16-of-18 free throw attempts, the second-most free throws made in school history. The Milwaukee native added six rebounds and four assists against the Buckeyes, as the Badgers improved their Conference-best home winning streak to 26 games. Harris, voted the Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year by the coaches, has averaged 27 points on 54 percent shooting in his last six outings to take over the Big Ten scoring lead (in League games only) at 21.5 points per contest. That scoring outburst includes a career-best 38 points against Minnesota on February 4, the most points produced in a Conference game this season. In all games, the 6-3 guard rates among the top six in the Big Ten in scoring (3rd at 19.1), assists (2nd at 4.76), steals (6th at 1.90) and assist-to-turnover ratio (T1st at 2.94). Harris earns his second Player of the Week nod this season and the third of his career, as he was also chosen on January 12, 2004, and January 6, 2003.
February 9, 2004
Jeff Horner, Iowa
SO, G, Mason City, IA/Mason City
Horner filled up the box score by averaging 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists while playing all but one minute during a 1-1 road trip to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors. The sophomore guard connected on 67 percent of his field goal attempts, including 62 percent from three-point range, and knocked down the game-winner with two seconds left in double overtime at Indiana. The Iowa native opened the week by pouring in 21 points on 64 percent shooting (7-of-11), including hitting five-of-eight three-pointers, and adding six rebounds while playing all 40 minutes at Michigan State. He surpassed the 20-point mark for the fifth time in seven games after scoring no more than 13 points in his first 12 contests of the season. On Saturday, Horner guided the Hawkeyes to a crucial road victory in Conference action as he posted his second double-double on the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds while adding six assists at Indiana. He played 49 of the 50 minutes of the double-overtime thriller, including every minute of the second half and both extra sessions. His tenth rebound of the game came on the offensive glass with 18 seconds left in double-overtime to set up the game-winning shot, as he drove to the basket and hit a twisting layup for the victory. The 6-3 standout is now one of only two Conference guards to boast a pair of point-rebound double-doubles this season along with Northwestern’s Jitim Young. Horner collects the first Big Ten Player of the Week award of his career, as he is the second Hawkeye to be honored this season along with fellow-sophomore Greg Brunner (December 1).
February 2, 2004
Paul Davis, Michigan State
SO, C, Rochester, MI/Rochester
Davis averaged 25.5 points on 52 percent shooting during two key victories last week to boost the Spartans within a game of the top spot in the Big Ten standings and earn Conference Player of the Week honors for the second time in three weeks. The sophomore center began the week by rallying Michigan State to an overtime victory on the road at Minnesota after the Spartans trailed by as many as 23 points in the first half. Davis recorded the assist on Maurice Ager’s game-tying three-pointer at the end of regulation and then scored seven of his team-high 19 points in the extra session. He was a perfect nine-for-nine from the free throw line in the game and connected on all five of his charity attempts in overtime, including the winning free throws with 5.2 seconds left in the game. The preseason All-Big Ten honoree followed that performance by pouring in a career-high 32 points in a win over Indiana, which entered the game tied for first place in the League standings. He hit 11-of-16 shots and 10-of-12 free throws against the Hoosiers to produce the highest point total by any player in a Big Ten game this season. Davis leads Michigan State and ranks among the League’s top 10 in scoring (6th at 16.4 ppg) and rebounding (7th at 6.4 rpg) while shooting 53.3 percent from the field. He has increased his scoring average to 18.1 points per outing in Conference games only, which is good for fourth among all players. Davis collects the second Big Ten Player of the Week award of his career, as he is the first Spartan to be honored twice in a season since Jason Richardson and Charlie Bell both accomplished that feat during the 2000-01 campaign.
January 26, 2004
Bracey Wright, Indiana
SO, G, The Colony, TX/The Colony
Wright averaged 25 points per game to lead the Hoosiers to a pair of road victories and a share of first place in the Big Ten standings. The sophomore guard played every minute of both games and connected on 57 percent of his three-point attempts (8-of-14) and 92 percent of his free throws (12-of-13) while averaging 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists. The pre-season All-Big Ten choice tipped off the week with 28 points at Ohio State in 40 minutes on the court. He put in some extra time at Minnesota, playing all 45 minutes of the overtime victory and producing 22 points, eight caroms and five assists. The Texas native collects his third Player of the Week award this season, which is tied with multiple players for the third-highest single-season total in Big Ten history along with fellow Hoosiers Jared Jeffries (2001-02) and Calbert Cheaney (1992-93). Wright now has five Player of the Week honors in his two-year career, which is also the third-highest total in League annals.
Mike Wilkinson, Wisconsin
JR, F, Blue Mounds, WI/Wisconsin Heights
Wilkinson connected on 67 percent of his shots last week and nearly averaged a double-double with 21 points and 9.5 rebounds per outing to guide the Badgers to a 2-0 week and a tie atop the Conference standings. The junior forward opened with his seventh career double-double, registering 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting with 10 caroms against Michigan. He followed that performance with a career-high 24 points on 10-of-15 from the field and nine rebounds against Illinois. Wilkinson ranks among the top five in Big Ten games only with 15.2 points (5th), 8.6 rebounds (2nd) and 2.4 blocks (2nd) per contest. He earns the first Big Ten Player of the Week accolade of his career and is the second Badger in the last three weeks to be honored, as teammate Devin Harris was named Co-Player of the Week on January 12.
January 19, 2004
Paul Davis, Michigan State
SO, C, Rochester, MI/Rochester
Davis boosted Michigan State into a share of the Conference lead after averaging 16 points on 53 percent shooting and 7.5 rebounds during a 2-0 week to earn Big Ten Player of the Week accolades. The 6-11 sophomore was one of five Spartans in double-figures against Penn State, producing 10 points on four-of-seven shooting (.571) while adding a game-high eight boards and two blocked shots. He concluded his week with a game-high 22 points in a victory over in-state rival Michigan, connecting on six-of-12 shots from the field and nine-of-11 free throw attempts. The Rochester native added seven caroms and three steals in the triumph, as MSU improved to 2-1 in League play to enter the third week of Conference action tied for the top spot in the standings. Davis, a preseason All-Big Ten honoree, leads Michigan State and ranks among the top 10 in the League in scoring (7th with 15.2 ppg) and rebounding (8th with 6.7 rpg). He has scored in double figures in nine straight games, including four outings with 20 points or more, and also tops the team with 11 blocked shots and 22 steals. Davis collects the first Big Ten Player of the Week award of his career as he is the first Spartan to be honored this season.
January 12, 2004
Jan Jagla, Penn State
JR, F, Berlin, Germany/Fritz-Karsen
Jagla averaged 20 points and 8.5 rebounds to share Player of the Week honors and lead Penn State to its first 2-0 Big Ten start since the 1995-96 campaign. The junior forward broke loose for a career-high 28 points and grabbed 10 caroms in a League-opening victory over Minnesota, connecting on 10-of-18 from the field and three-of-six from three-point range. He scored 20 points in the first half alone, becoming the first Nittany Lion to accomplish that feat since Joe Crispin had 20 points in a half against Wisconsin on January 19, 2000. Jagla notched his fifth double-double of the season, which is tied for second among all League players, and the 12th of his career. He boosted PSU to a 2-0 Conference mark with 12 points and seven boards in only 27 minutes against Ohio State. The 7-0 native of Germany currently ranks among the Big Ten’s top five in scoring (4th at 17.4), rebounding (3rd at 8.7) and blocked shots (4th at 1.62). Jagla collects the second POW honor of his career (also selected on December 29) and is the first Penn State standout to earn two League Player of the Week honors in one season since Crispin in 2000-01.
Devin Harris, Wisconsin
JR, G, Milwaukee, WI/Wauwatosa East
Harris became the first Big Ten junior to crack the 1,000-point barrier this season and averaged 18 points, 6.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals to lead the Badgers to their first 2-0 Conference start since the 1993-94 season. The junior guard, who leads the League in assist-to-turnover ratio, racked up 13 assists while committing just one turnover in 74 minutes of action on the week. He opened with 15 points, nine assists and no turnovers in a win over Indiana to become just the fourth active Big Ten player to compile 1,000 career points and just the sixth in Badgers’ history. Against Michigan State, Harris led all scorers with 21 points while adding five boards, four assists and three steals. The Milwaukee-native currently ranks among the top five in the League in points (5th at 17.2), assists (2nd at 5.54) and steals (3rd at 2.15). Harris earns his first Player of the Week nod this season and the second of his career, as he was also honored on January 6, 2003.
January 5, 2004
Bracey Wright, Indiana
SO, G, The Colony, TX/The Colony
Wright averaged 27 points during a 1-1 week, including the biggest scoring explosion by a Big Ten player in more than seven years, to collect his second Big Ten Player of the Week award this season. The sophomore guard returned to his native state to face North Texas, which is located 20 minutes from his hometown, and broke loose for a career-high 39 points in a nine-point victory. Wright hit his first nine field goal attempts and scored 28 points in the first half, the best performance by an Indiana player in one half of play since Damon Bailey scored 30 points in the second half of a game against Kansas in the 1993 NCAA Tournament. He is the first Conference standout to score 39 or more points since fellow-Hoosier Andre Patterson tallied 39 points against Duke on November 29, 1996. Wright connected on nine of his 15 shots from the field against the Mean Green, including hitting six-of-eight three-pointers, while adding seven rebounds, five assists and a career-best four steals. He followed that performance with 15 points and five boards in a close loss to Temple. Wright has now scored in double-figures in 14 straight games dating back to last season and is currently ranked second in the League with 22.2 points per outing. He earns the fourth Big Ten Player of the Week honor of his career, as he nabbed the award on December 15 and was chosen twice as a freshman.
December 29, 2003
Jan Jagla, Penn State
JR, F, Berlin, Germany/Fritz-Karsen
Jagla boosted the Nittany Lions past Arkansas State, a team that entered the contest with a record of 8-1, by producing 18 points and a career-high 17 rebounds to earn Big Ten Player of the Week accolades. The junior forward connected on seven-of-13 shots from the field (.538), including three-of-five from three-point range, while adding four assists and a blocked shot to lead Penn State to the championship game of the Lobo Invitational. He now has four double-doubles on the year, which is tied for second in the Conference, and 11 for his career, which leads all active players. The native of Germany tops PSU and ranks among the top five in the Big Ten in scoring (5th with 16.3 ppg), rebounding (3rd with 9.3 rpg), blocked shots (3rd with 1.44 bpg) and field goal percentage (5th at 54.3 percent). Jagla collects the first Big Ten weekly award of his career and is the first Nittany Lion to be honored in more than three years. The last PSU Player of the Week was Joe Crispin, who was selected twice during the 2000-01 campaign on November 27 and December 11.
December 22, 2003
Vedran Vukusic, Northwestern
SO, F, Split, Croatia/Medical High School
Vukusic averaged 24.5 points on 59 percent shooting while playing every minute in a two-game split against against Arizona State and Illinois-Chicago. The Wildcats sophomore opened the week by pouring in a career-best 26 points, including a career-high five three-pointers, to guide Northwestern to a narrow two-point victory over the Sun Devils, who entered last week receiving votes in the ESPN/USA Today poll. He added six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots in the win. Vukusic followed that performance by connecting on 8-of-12 attempts (.667), including three more treys, and scoring 23 points in a loss at Illinois-Chicago. He hit 16-of-27 shots on the week, including 8-of-13 from long range and 9-of-11 from the free throw line. The Croatia-native has now scored 20 or more points in three straight games and ranks ninth in the Big Ten with 14.7 points per outing and sixth in the Conference with 2.11 three-pointers per game (19 total). He leads Northwestern in treys and blocks (six) while rating second on the team in scoring, rebounding (4.3), assists (31) and steals (13). Vukusic earns his first Big Ten Player of the Week accolade as he is the first Wildcat selected this season.
December 15, 2003
Bracey Wright, Indiana
SO, G, The Colony, TX/The Colony
Wright averaged 20.5 points and 6.5 rebounds last week to lead the Hoosiers to a pair of victories and earn his first Player of the Week honor this season. The sophomore guard opened the week with a team-high 19 points, including hitting three-of-five three-point attempts, while adding four caroms and three assists in guiding Indiana to a narrow three-point road victory against in-state rival Notre Dame. He followed that performance with a game-high 22 points, including another three triples, and nine rebounds in a triumph over Butler. The Texas-native has scored in double-figures in every game this season and 10 straight contests dating back to his freshman campaign, when he earned Third Team All-Big Ten honors and was named to the Conference All-Freshman Team. He currently ranks second in the Big Ten with 21.1 points per outing while his 6.4 rebounds per game is tied for 11th. Wright earns the third Big Ten Player of the Week award of his career. He was also honored twice as a freshman when he became just the sixth first-year standout to be selected on multiple occasions and the first in the previous 10 years.
December 8, 2003
Kris Humphries, Minnesota
FR, F, Chaska, MN/Hopkins
Humphries produced two more double-doubles last week, averaging 23 points (on 54 percent shooting) and 13.5 rebounds to collect his second Big Ten Player of the Week honor in the first three weeks of the season. The 6-9 forward exploded for a career-best 32 points on 13-of-20 shooting and added 13 boards, including seven on the offensive glass, as Minnesota was edged at Virginia in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. He followed that performance with 14 points and 14 caroms in a win over Western Illinois. Humphries is on pace to become the first freshman to lead the Big Ten in both scoring and rebounding since at least 1959, as he tops the Conference with 23.6 points and 11.8 boards per outing. The last first-year standout to lead the League in scoring was Ohio State’s Michael Redd in 1998 while no freshman has ended the year atop the rebounding charts since at least 1959, when records were first kept in that category. Humphries’ four double-doubles in five games this season also leads the Conference. He is the first freshman in Big Ten annals to nab the Player of the Week accolades in two of the first three weeks and only the eighth first-year player to collect two or more weekly honors in a season. Current Wolverine Daniel Horton, the 2003 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, set the single-season record for a freshman last season with three Player of the Week honors while Indiana’s Bracey Wright was honored on two occasions. The other frosh to nab two weekly awards are the Hoosiers’ Steve Alford (1983-84), Jay Edwards (1987-88) and Alan Henderson (1991-92), Michigan State’s Scott Skiles (1982-83) and Ohio State’s Jim Jackson (1989-90).
December 1, 2003
Greg Brunner, Iowa
SO, F, Charles City, IA/Charles City
Brunner shot a blistering 73 percent from the floor during a 2-0 week, including pouring in a career-best 26 points to lead the unranked Hawkeyes to an overtime victory over No. 17/16 Louisville at the Wooden Tradition in Indianapolis. The sophomore forward connected on 16 of 22 shots (.727) and averaged 19.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in the two games. He opened the week with 13 points, seven boards and three blocks against Drake before exploding against the Cardinals, burying 10 of 14 shots while playing 41 of 45 minutes and adding two key rejections. Brunner has hit 20 of his 26 shots so far this season to lead the Conference in field goal percentage (.769). This is the first weekly honor of his career.
Kenneth Lowe, Purdue
SR, G, Gary, IN/Gary West
Lowe was named the Most Valuable Player of the Great Alaska Shootout as he led the unranked Boilermakers to the title with 22 points in an upset of No. 2/2 Duke in the championship game. The reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year averaged 18 points during the three-game event and shot an impressive 95.7 percent from the free throw line, including a perfect eight-of-eight in the title game. He opened the tournament with a career-best 26 points against Texas State, connecting on seven of 11 shots (.636) from the field and 12 of 13 from the charity stripe while adding five assists. After being held to six points against Seton Hall, the senior guard poured in 22 points against the Blue Devils on six-of-12 shooting. Purdue earned its second Great Alaska Shootout title, and first since 1993, as the Boilermakers are just the fourth team to win the event more than once along with Kentucky, North Carolina and North Carolina State. Lowe joins former All-American Glenn Robinson as the second Purdue standout to collect MVP accolades. He also earns Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career.
November 24, 2003
Kris Humphries, Minnesota
FR, F, Chaska, MN/Hopkins
Humphries opened his collegiate career with back-to-back double-doubles in the first and second rounds of the Preseason NIT, averaging 23 points and 12.5 rebounds in his first two games to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors. The 6-9 forward began his career in Minneapolis by hitting 12-of-23 shots (.522) to total 26 points and 15 boards against Missouri-Kansas City. Humphries is the first Minnesota freshman to post a 20-point, 10-rebound outing since Randy Carter tallied 29 points and 15 caroms against Northwestern on January 26, 1991. The last Gopher to produce 25 points and 15 rebounds in the same contest was Joel Przybilla (28-18) versus Iowa on January 24, 2000. Humphries followed his opening performance with 20 points and 10 rebounds on the road at Utah. He is the first freshman in Big Ten history to earn Player of the Week accolades in the opening week of play. Humphries also becomes only the second first-year standout in Minnesota annals to collect the weekly award, joining 2002 Conference Freshman of the Year Rick Rickert, who was honored on February 4, 2002.
