A pair of Wisconsin men’s basketball players received season-ending awards from the Big Ten Conference on Monday.
Ethan Happ earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition. Guard Brad Davison was named to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman team.
A first-team All-Big Ten selection last season, Happ becomes the eighth player in UW history to win multiple first-team All-Big Ten honors. He joins Don Rehfeldt (1949-50), Ab Nicholas (1951-52), Michael Finley (1993, ’95), Kirk Penney (2002-03), Alando Tucker (2007-08), Jordan Taylor (2011-12) and Frank Kaminsky (2014-15) on that list.
Wisconsin has now had 15 first-team All-Big Ten selections over the last 17 seasons, the most of any school over that span.
Happ, who was a first-team All-Big Ten pick by the media, also earned second-team distinction from the coaches. The only player in the nation leading his team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals, Happ is just the fifth Big Ten player in the last 22 seasons (since 1996-97) to accumulate at least 500 points, 250 rebounds and 100 assists. He is the only individual to do so twice.
Averaging 12.1 points per game, Davison ranks among the top five Big Ten freshmen in scoring (2nd), assists (4th), free throw percentage (1st), steals (3rd) and minutes played (2nd). Davison is second on the Badgers in scoring and is on track to become just the fourth Badger in the last 20 years to average double figures as a freshman, joining Devin Harris (12.3 ppg in 2002), Alando Tucker (12.0 ppg in 2003) and Ethan Happ (12.4 ppg in 2016).
Senior Aaron Moesch was recognized with the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, which is awarded to one player from each team who has distinguished himself through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, these honorees must be in good academic standing and must have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
Joining Happ on the Media’s All-Big Ten first team are Miles Bridges (Michigan State), Keita Bates-Diop (Ohio State), Tony Carr (Penn State) and Carsen Edwards (Purdue). Nebraska’s James Palmer Jr., made the coaches first team instead of Happ.
Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop was named the Big Ten Player of the Year. Michigan State’s Jaren Jackson Jr., is the Freshman of the Year. Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann was honored as the Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Bridges and Bates-Diop were both unanimous selections.
