Around The Big Ten – November 13

Offensive Player of the Week

Will Howard, Ohio State

QB – Gr. – Downington, Pa. – Downington

• Completed at least 80 percent of his passes for the fourth time this season (21 of 26), while generating four total touchdowns to lead the Buckeyes to a 45-0 win over Purdue
• Threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns and he also scored on a 1-yard rush
• Did not throw an interception and he spread his passes around with eight different Buckeyes making a reception
• Last Ohio State Offensive Player of the Week honoree: Emeka Egbuka (Oct. 7, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week

Carson Schwesinger, UCLA

LB – Jr. – Moorpark, Calif. – Oaks Christian

• Had two interceptions, the first two picks of his career, and seven tackles as UCLA notched a 20-17 win over Iowa on Friday
• Helped limit Iowa (ranked No. 10 in FBS rushing) to just 80 yards on the ground, and just 265 yards of total offense
• Has seven plus tackles in eight of nine games this year, including six efforts with 10+ stops
• Earns UCLA’s first Defensive Player of the Week award

Special Teams Player of the Week

Dominic Zvada, Michigan

K – Jr. – Chandler, Ariz. – Valley Christian

• Converted a trio of field goals at Indiana (39, 22, 56 yards) and scored nine of team’s 15 total points
• His 56-yarder was the third-longest in Memorial Stadium history and second-longest by an opponent
• Became Michigan’s new career and single-season record holder for most 50-plus yard field goals in a season (5)
• Last Michigan Special Teams Players of the Week: Dominic Zvada (Sept. 30, 2024)

Freshman of the Week

Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

WR – Miami Gardens, Fla. – Chaminade-Madonna Prep

• Caught six passes for 87 yards and one touchdown and in the process took over school freshman records for all three major categories in the Buckeyes’ win against Purdue
• He has now moved ahead of Ohio State All-American and Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter with 45 receptions, 765 yards and nine receiving touchdowns
• Improved to 10 total touchdowns on the season, including a 19-yard rushing TD vs. Michigan State
• Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week honoree: Jeremiah Smith (Sept. 30, 2024)

VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Co-Player of the Week
Eva Hudson, Purdue
Jr. – OH – Fort Wayne, Ind. – Major: Biomedical Health Sciences/Pre-Medicine

• Led Purdue to a 2-0 week with wins over Indiana (3-1) and Michigan (3-0), averaging a conference-leading 6.43 kills per set and 7.29 points per set

• Hudson recorded her eighth double-double of the season, tallying a season-high-tying 26 kills at Indiana behind a .373 hitting percentage with 10 digs and five blocks to tie her career-best. She finished the match with a season-high 29.5 points

• Finished with 19 kills and a .350 clip to lead the Purdue offense to a 3-0 win over Michigan

• Went perfect in receptions, making zero errors in the back row against the Wolverines

• Last Purdue Player of the Week: Eva Hudson (Sept. 2, 2024)

Co-Player of the Week
Sarah Franklin, Wisconsin
Fifth-Year – OH – Lake Worth, Fla. – Major: Communications

• Led the Wisconsin offense to a 2-0 weekend, including a 3-0 win over No. 3 Penn State and a 3-0 win vs. Iowa

• Across the two matches, Franklin averaged 4.67 kills per set with a .431 hitting percentage with zero hitting errors (28-0-65)

• Against the Nittany Lions, Franklin tallied 13 kills with a .419 hitting percentage and recorded eight digs

• In the win over the Hawkeyes, Franklin recorded 15 kills (5.00 kills/set) with zero errors on 34 attempts to hit .441

• Franklin has now hit above .400 six times this season and this weekend marked the first time in 2024 that she has hit above .400 in back-to-back matches

• Last Wisconsin Player of the Week: Sarah Franklin (Sept. 23, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week
Lexi Rodriguez, Nebraska
Sr. – L – Sterling, Ill. – Major: Integrated Media Communications

• Averaged 4.17 digs per set to help Nebraska to a pair of standout defensive performances in 3-0 wins over No. 12 Oregon and RV Washington

• Rodriguez had 14 digs in the sweep at Oregon as the Huskers held Oregon to a .133 hitting percentage

• Rodriguez had 11 digs and served two aces at Washington as Nebraska limited the Huskies to .158 hitting

• Last Nebraska Defensive Player of the Week: Andi Jackson (Oct. 28, 2024)

Setter of the Week
Charlie Fuerbringer, Wisconsin
Fr. – S – Hermosa Beach, Calif. – Major: Real Estate

• Helped the Badgers to a 2-0 week with a pair of 3-0 wins over No. 3 Penn State and Iowa

• Fuerbringer recorded her sixth and seventh double-double of the season, tallying 32 assists and 12 digs vs. Iowa and 38 assists and 12 digs vs. Penn State

• The freshman setter averaged 11.67 assists per set and 4.00 digs per set and chipped in defensively with 4.0 total blocks and four kills across the two matches

• Fuerbringer cued a Wisconsin offense that hit .465 (50-3-101) against Penn State and .394 (42-5-94) against Iowa

• Last Wisconsin Setter of the Week: Sydney Hilley (Nov. 22, 2021)

Freshman of the Week
Ashlyn Philpot, Illinois
MB – Greenville, N.C. – Major: Biology

• Helped the Fighting Illini to a 2-0 week, including a 3-2 win over No. 20 USC and a 3-0 win over Ohio State

• Against the Trojans, Philpot tallied a career-high 17 kills behind a .433 hitting percentage. Defensively, Philpot added four blocks and a dig. The middle blocker finished the day with a career-best 19 points

• Philpot paced the Illinois defense with 11 kills and a .667 hitting percentage in the sweep of the Buckeyes. She also led the Illini defense with six blocks

• Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Raina Terry (March 22, 2020)

MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Player of the Week
Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
F – Jr. – 6-7 – Glenview, Ill. – Glenbrook South

• Tallied 29.0 points on 75 percent shooting from the field, including 5-for-5 from three-point range, and 12.0 rebounds as the Wildcats split a pair of contests
• Paired 32 points and 14 rebounds in 71-66 loss at Dayton
• Garners his first Player of the Week award
• Last Northwestern Player of the Week: Boo Buie (Jan. 29, 2024)

Freshman of the Week

Will Riley, Illinois
F – 6-8 – Kitchener, Ontario, Canada – The Phelps School (Pa.)

• Averaged 22.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in the Illini’s two wins last week
• Broke the Illinois freshman scoring record with 31 points on 10-for-13 shooting, including 5-for-6 from three-point range, in a 112-67 win over Eastern Illinois
• Earns his first Freshman of the Week award

• Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Jayden Epps (Feb. 6, 2023)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Player of the Week
Destiny Adams, Rutgers
Sr. – Forward – Manchester, N.J. – Manchester
• Averaged 26.7 points, 15.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks to help Rutgers open its season with wins over Manhattan, Cornell and NJIT
• Went 25-for-33 (.758) from the charity stripe
• Netted 30 points versus Cornell and a career-high 36 against NJIT for the first back-to-back 30-plus game performances since Sue Wicks (1988) and only the third in program history
• Also grabbed 22 rebounds against the Highlanders, the first Scarlet Knight to record 30+ points and 20+ rebounds in over 12 seasons
• Her 36 points tied a Jersey Mike’s Arena record that was previously set by 2024 Olympian Arella Guirantes in 2020
• Tied for eighth all-time for most points in a single game with Guirantes and Caroline DeRoose (1994)
• Earns her first Big Ten Player of the Week award
• Last Rutgers Player of the Week: Arella Guirantes (Dec. 28, 2020)

Big Ten Women’s Basketball Weekly Honor Roll
Deja Kelly, ORE: Propelled Oregon to a 3-0 week, including a 76-74 upset of No. 12 Baylor, behind 17.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists
Jaloni Cambridge, OSU: Totaled 31 points, six rebounds, six assists, five steals and a pair of blocks in 26 minutes in her collegiate debut as Ohio State beat Cleveland State
Serah Williams, WIS: Picked up two double-doubles against Wright State (29 points, 12 rebounds) and Georgetown (17 points, 16 rebounds)

Freshman of the Week
Syla Swords, Michigan
Guard – Sudbury, Ontario – Long Island Lutheran  
• Burst onto the scene with a 27-point, 12-rebound performance against No. 1 South Carolina
• Only the third player since 2009-10 to have at least 27 points and 12 rebounds against the Gamecocks
• Tallied the most points scored by a Michigan freshman in a debut in the NCAA era and the second-most ever behind Peg Harte (1981 – 28 points)
• Added 20 points, six rebounds and five assists in the 86-55 win over Lehigh
• Collects her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week laurel
• Last Michigan Freshman of the Week: Laila Phelia (Feb. 7, 2022)