University of Minnesota Athletics
Murphy Selected to Big Ten All-Freshman Team
3/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Minnesota forward Jordan Murphy has been recognized as one of the top newcomers in the Big Ten Conference, as he was named to the five-man All-Freshman Team on Monday evening. The award was voted on by the league's 14 head coaches.
The San Antonio, Texas native is the third All-Freshman Team selection for the Golden Gophers and the first in 11 years, with Kris Humphries and Dan Coleman earning the honor in 2004 and 2005, respectively.
Murphy, a two-time selection as Big Ten Freshman of the Week, has appeared in every game including the last 19 as a starter. His nine double-doubles are tied for the Big Ten lead, and he ranks fourth in the conference with 8.0 rebounds per game. Murphy is averaging 11.7 points per contest, which is second among the Gophers and fourth among Big Ten freshmen.
The Brennan High School product is also averaging 1.1 blocks and 1.0 steals in 26.5 minutes per game. He has scored in double figures 20 times this season, including a career-high 24 points in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge win over Clemson on November 30. His 18 rebounds against Chicago State set a new Gophers freshman single-game record.
In addition to Murphy's honor, senior Joey King was recognized by the conference as Minnesota's honoree for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
The 13th-seeded Gophers will begin play in the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. CT, facing 12th-seeded Illinois at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
