Tag: Big Ten Player of the Year

Former Badger big man ties the knot

After a legendary career at Wisconsin, current NBA player Frank Kaminsky and his bride Ashley Brewer tied the knot this week.

After a legendary career at Wisconsin, current NBA player Frank Kaminsky and his bride Ashley Brewer tied the knot this week. Kaminsky was a member of the Badgers from 2011-2015, leading Wisconsin men’s basketball to heights they had never reached.

Kaminsky really stepped into his own in his junior season in 2014 averaging 13.9 points per game and 6.3 rebounds, helping lead the Badgers to a Final Four birth, losing to Kentucky. Additionally, in November of that 2013-2014 campaign, he set the program record with 43 points against North Dakota.

The next season he went on to win Big Ten Player of the Year as well as the Naismith Award, averaging 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds. The Badgers went on to defeat the unbeaten Kentucky Wildcats in the Final Four and ultimately lose to Duke 68-63 in the 2015 National Championship.

Kaminsky was selected ninth overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets and he currently plays for the Houston Rockets.

Congratulations Frank the Tank!

Michigan State Basketball has the most Big Ten Player of the Year winners in conference history

Michigan State players have brought home the Big Ten Player of the Year nine times, more than any other Big Ten school

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The Big Ten Conference started awarding a Player of the Year for basketball back in 1984-85. Since then, a litany of Spartans have received the honor, which has led to Michigan State having the most winners of the award in conference history.

The first Spartan to win the award was Scott Skiles in 1986 and the latest was Cassius Winston in 2019.

Here is the full awards breakdown by team:

  1. Michigan State – 9
  2. Ohio State – 7
  3. Indiana – 6
  4. Michigan – 5
  5. Purdue – 4
  6. Illinois – 3
  7. Wisconsin – 3
  8. Iowa – 1

This list excludes Clem Haskins, who won the award with Minnesota back in 1997 but was forced to vacate the honor. In 1999 and 2000 a Spartan shared the award both years, first with Mateen Cleaves and then with Morris Peterson. Cleaves shared it with Scoonie Penn of Ohio State and Peterson with A.J. Guyton of Indiana.

Mateen Cleaves is one of only two players to have won the award twice.

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Locked On Spartans Podcast: Big Ten Awards, Big Ten Tournament

Recapping the Big Ten awards and looking ahead to the Big Ten Tournament

Wil and Matt talk about the Big Ten Awards and if there were any major gripes for MSU players. Then they talk about how fun the Big Ten Tournament is going to be this year.

You can find the episode on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

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