University of Minnesota Athletics
Mbakwe Named Big Ten Player of the Week
3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 4, 2013
Minnesota forward Trevor Mbakwe has been named the Big Ten Conference Player of the Week, the conference office announced today. This is his first weekly honor of the year and second of his career.
Mbakwe, a native of St. Paul, Minn., posted two double-doubles for the week, helping the Gophers notch victories over No. 1 Indiana and Penn State. He scored a season-high 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Minnesota upset the Hoosiers. Mbakwe also blocked one of player of the year candidate Cody Zeller's shots.
On Saturday, Mbakwe tallied 13 points and 13 rebounds in a senior day win against Penn State. The Gopher power forward shot 73.7 percent from the floor during the week.
Mbakwe's last Big Ten Player of the Week award came on Nov. 22, 2010, when he was recognized for his performance in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The last time a Gopher won a weekly award was Nov. 26, 2012, when Andre Hollins garnered his first career weekly honor.
The Gophers will travel to Lincoln to face Nebraska this Wednesday, March 6, at 8:00 p.m. CT. They will close out the regular season at Purdue on Saturday, March 9, at 11:00 a.m. CT.
