College BasketballSports

Around The Big Ten – January 29

Minnesota, Maryland net men’s basketball weekly accolades. Gophers’ Garcia and Terps’ Queen earn Big Ten weekly honors.

by:
Pete Pistone
January 29, 2025

More on this week’s edition of “Big Ten Whip Around” — start listening to SiriusXM Big Ten Radio (Ch. 372) on the SiriusXM app now.

Minnesota, Maryland Net Men’s Basketball Weekly Accolades

Gophers’ Garcia and Terps’ Queen earn Big Ten weekly honors

Player of the Week
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota
F – Sr. – 6-11 – Savage, Minn. – Prior Lake

  • Led the Gophers to a pair of wins with 25.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game
  • Scored 31 points on 13-for-19 shooting from the field in leading Minnesota to a 77-69 win over Oregon, the program’s highest ranked win in four years
  • Posted 20 points in a 72-67 win at Iowa, Minnesota’s first win at Carver-Hawkeye Arena since 2015
  • Claims second Player of the Week honor
  • Last Minnesota Player of the Week: Dawson Garcia (November 13, 2023)

Freshman of the Week
Derik Queen, Maryland
C – 6-10 – Baltimore, Md. – Montverde

  • Averaged 16.0 points on 13-for-21 shooting, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and a blocked shot as Maryland scored a pair of road wins
  • Tallied 25 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals in the Terps’ 91-70 win at Illinois
  • Earns his third Freshman of the Week award
  • Last Maryland Player of the Week: Derik Queen (December 9, 2024)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Player of the Week
Lauren Betts, UCLA
Junior – Center – Centennial, Colo. – Grandview
• Averaged 27.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 6.0 blocks and 2.7 assists during UCLA’s three-game road swing
• Recorded a near triple-double (24 points, nine rebounds, nine blocks) in a win over No. 25 Baylor
• Set a program record for single-game blocks by a Bruin with nine rejections against the Bears
• Notched a 25-point, 13-rebound, five-block effort at Rutgers
• Finished with a career-high 33 points while shooting 93.3 percent from the field in a victory over No. 8 Maryland
• Also added seven boards, four blocks and four assists against the Terrapins
• Earns the second Big Ten Player of the Week award of her career
• Last UCLA Player of the Week: Lauren Betts (Nov. 18, 2024)

Big Ten Women’s Basketball Weekly Honor Roll
Taylor Thierry, OSU: Paced the Buckeyes to a pair wins over ranked opponents behind 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals
Theryn Hallock, MSU: Scored 23 of her 25 points in the second half to push the Spartans past in-state rival Michigan

Freshman of the Week
Avery Howell, USC
Guard – Boise, Idaho – Boise
• Set career marks in points (18), made three-pointers (4) and steals (3) in USC’s win at Purdue
• Went a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line, another career high
• Collects her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week laurel
• Last USC Freshman of the Week: Avery Howell (Jan. 27, 2025)

HOCKEY

First Star
Christian Fitzgerald, Wisconsin
Jr. – F – Coquitlam, B.C. — Minnesota State (NCAA)

  • Netted three goals on the week as Wisconsin claimed four of six points from No. 10/10 Michigan in Madison, Wis.
  • Scored twice on Friday to help the Badgers recover from a two-goal deficit in a 5-4 victory; recorded game-winning goal with 3:09 left in regulation
  • Scored on Saturday in a 4-4 overtime tie that saw Wisconsin rally from two goals down; finished the weekend series with a plus-three rating and two blocked shots
  • Secures the first Big Ten weekly award of his career
  • Last Wisconsin First Star: Tommy Scarfone (Dec. 10, 2024)

Second Star
David Gucciardi, Michigan State
Sr. – D – Toronto, Ontario – Waterloo (USHL)

  • Scored twice in Michigan State’s 9-3 win over No. 4/3 Minnesota on Friday at Munn Ice Arena
  • Assisted on two of MSU’s three goals Saturday as the No. 2/2 Spartans skated to a 3-3 overtime tie against the Gophers
  • His four points were tied for the most among defenseman nationally last week
  • The Washington Capitals draft product collects his first career Star award
  • Last Michigan State Star recipient: Charlie Stramel (Second Star) on Jan. 21, 2025

Third Star
Reese Laubach, Penn State
So. – F – San Jose, Calif. — Omaha (USHL)

  • Produced back-to-back, multiple-point games for Penn State, which recorded a 6-6 overtime tie and 3-2 overtime win over No. 9/8 Ohio State in University Park, Pa.
  • Tallied the game-winning goal on Saturday, leading the Nittany Lions to their win against a top-10 ranked opponent since December 2023
  • Ranks second in team scoring, averaging nearly a point per game with 19 points in 20 games
  • The San Jose Sharks draft pick earns his first Big Ten Star honor
  • Last Penn State Star honoree: Arsenii Sergeev (First Star) on Jan. 7, 2025

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