If any Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball player deserved the honor of Big Ten player of the week, it is Ben Brust. The junior guard scored 18 points in a double-overtime win over Iowa and hit two key three-pointers -- including a buzzer-beating 40-footer at the end of regulation -- to help UW take down Michigan in overtime.
Brust becomes the first Badger to win the weekly award in a year for Wisconsin. The award has been handed to Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State with great regularity with the Badgers taking a back seat in regards to individual awards.
Brust averaged 16.0 points in victories over Iowa and Michigan last week. He shot 43.8 percent from 3-point range (7-for-16) in those games.
Brust did share the award with senior guard D.J. Richardson of Illinois, who led the Illini to two wins over top-20 opponents last week, averaging 18 points on 50 percent shooting with 2.5 steals.
