COLUMBUS – Junior forward E.J. Liddell and freshman guard Malaki Branham earned All-Big Ten honors in balloting was done by league coaches and media.
Liddell nabbed first team honors for the second consecutive season, the conference announced on Tuesday, after averaging 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.6 assists per game during the regular season and conference tournament.
Branham was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in addition to earning third team honors. He averaged 13.2 points per game while shooting over 49 percent from the floor, scoring in double figures in eight consecutive games at the close of the season.
Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis is The Associated Press player of the year in the Big Ten Conference and the Badgers’ Greg Gard is coach of the year.
Davis won top honors over Iowa’s Keegan Murray and both were unanimous picks for spots on the AP All-Big Ten team along with Purdue’s Jaden Ivey in voting of 15 journalists who cover the conference.
Nebraska freshman Bryce McGowens is the AP’s newcomer of the year.
Joining Liddell, Davis, Murray and Ivey on the all-conference first team was Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn.