Brad Davison (Photo by David Stluka)
Wisconsin Badger freshman Brad Davison poured in a career high 30 points against No. 2 Michigan State on Sunday, earning him this week’s Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week honor.
Davison had to leave the game in the second half after dislocating his left shoulder. After a brief trip into the tunnel of the Kohl Center, Davison returned to the game less than a minute later, continuing to help the Badgers nearly upset Big Ten champion Michigan State.
Davison became the first Badger freshman with a 30-point game since Sam Okey scored 30 points against Milwaukee on Dec. 10, 1996. The last UW freshman to score 30 points in a Big Ten game was Michael Finley, on February 26, 1992 against Michigan.
In three games this past week, Davison averaged 18 points, 47.2 percent shooting, plus 3.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds a game.
Davison is second in season scoring for the Badgers, averaging 12.1 points a game. he is on track to become just the fourth Badger in the last 20 years to average double-digit scoring as a freshman (Devin Harris in 2002, Alando Tucker in 2003 and Ethan Happ in 2016).
It’s the second Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor for Davison. He and the Badgers will begin postseason play as the No. 9 seed in the 2018 Big Ten Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Badgers will face eighth-seeded Maryland on Thursday in an 11 a.m. (CT) game live on Big Ten Network.