MADISON, Wis. – Fresh off scoring the game-winning layup against No. 4 Michigan State on Sunday, Ethan Happ of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week by the league office on Monday.
Not only did the forward from Milan, Illinois, score the go-ahead basket with 10 seconds remaining to complete the Badgers’ comeback victory over the Spartans, but Happ finished the game with 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
For the week, Happ scored in double figures against both Michigan State (14 points) and Northwestern (12 points). He averaged 13 points and 7 rebounds for the week on 53.8 percent shooting from the floor.
Happ is Wisconsin’s first Big Ten Freshman of the Week since teammate Nigel Hayes won the award four times in 2013-14, most recently on Feb. 17, 2014. Happ is the third player in UW history be named Big Ten Freshman of the Week, joining Hayes and Sam Dekker (2013).
Just the third freshman to start the season opener under retired head coach Bo Ryan, Happ has started all 19 games this season and is averaging 11.6 points and ranks second in the Big Ten with 8.1 rebounds per game. He has posted at least 10 points and seven rebounds in 12 of 19 games this season.
Happ leads the Big Ten with six double-doubles this season. Since 1984, Rashard Griffith (9) is the only UW freshman with more double-doubles than Happ. In fact, Happ has already tied the second-highest single-season total for double-doubles over the last 20 years (Frank Kaminsky had 14 in 2014-15).
Wisconsin takes to the road this week for a game against Penn State on Thursday in University Park, Pennsylvania. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (CT) on Big Ten Network.
(courtesy Wisconsin Athletic Communications)
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