Wisconsin Badger coach Greg Gard was named the 2020 Big Ten Coach of the Year, while juniors Nate Reuvers and D’Mitrik Trice were each named third-team all-big ten honorees.
Gard led the Badgers to a share of the Big Ten title and eight-straight wins to finish regular season play. He is just the second head coach in UW history to win Big Ten Coach of the Year with Bo Ryan being the other, winning top coaching honors in 2002, ’03, ’13 and ’15.
Wisconsin is the first Big Ten regular season champion in league history to not feature a first-or-second team All-Conference selection, dating back to 1948. A total of 95 teams have won a Big Ten regular season championship. Of those 95 teams, 91 featured a first-team All-Big Ten player and three had a second-team All-Big Ten player.
After beginning the season 5-5 overall, Gard rallied the Badgers to a 16-5 record down the stretch to finish the regular season 21-10 overall and 14-6 in Big Ten Conference play. The eight-game win streak to close out the regular season is the school’s longest win streak to end the regular season since 1940-41.
Nate Reuvers finished the regular season averaging 13.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. The junior forward ranks 16th in the Big Ten in scoring, fifth in free throw percentage (.786) and sixth in blocked shots (58). This marks the first career all-Big Ten nod for Reuvers.
D’Mitrik Trice finished the regular season averaging 9.8 points, 4.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. The junior dished out 131 assists during the season, which ranks sixth in the Big Ten. His 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio is tied for second-best in the league. Trice scored his 1,000th career point last Saturday to help UW clinch a share of the Big Ten title. He became the first player in school history to accumulate 1,000 points, 300 assists and 300 rebounds by his junior season.
Wisconsin redshirt junior Michael Ballard was recognized with the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
All-Big Ten First Team – Coaches
Luka Garza – Iowa – Player of the Year
Anthony Cowan Jr. – Maryland
Jalen Smith – Maryland
Cassius Winston – Michigan State
Lamar Stevens – Penn State
All-Big Ten Second Team
Ayo Dosunmu – Illinois
Zavier Simpson – Michigan
Xavier Tillman – Michigan State – Def. Player of the Year
Daniel Oturu – Minnesota
Kaleb Wesson – Ohio State
All-Big Ten Third Team
Trayce Jackson-Davis – Iowa
Joe Wieskamp – Iowa
Geo Baker – Rutgers
Nate Reuvers – Wisconsin
D’Mitrik Trice – Wisconsin
Honorable Mention
Kofi Cockburn – Illinois – Freshman of the Year
Marcus Carr – Minnesota
Trevion Williams – Purdue
Ron Harer Jr. – Rutgers