For the first time this season, a freshman was named Big Ten Player of the Week along with Freshman of the Week. The newcomer, freshman forward Nick Ward, averaged 21 points and nine rebounds in the two games he played during the week.
Ward aided the Spartans' cause in two key wins for MSU, including an upset win over a ranked Wisconsin team on Senior Day. Along with his contributions, the Gahanna, Ohio native shot 68 percent from the field.
The honor marks the fourth time this season Ward has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, most recently on Jan. 2.
Ward joins fellow freshman forward Miles Bridges as the only two Spartans to garner the Freshman of the Week award. Between the two, they have combined for nine different weeks earning Freshman of the Week within the conference.
On the Player of the Week side, Ward is the only Spartan this season to collect the honor this season. The last time a Spartan was named for it was former guard Bryn Forbes on March 7, 2016.
The Spartans will wrap up regular season play this week with two games on the road. Their first challenge is against the University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill. with tipoff set for 9 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
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