Trey Burke Named Big Ten Player of the Week for 3rd Time This Season

Submitted by Raoul on

I suppose this is no longer newsworthy—but another Michigan player nabs a Big Ten player of the week award. Trey Burke with his third of the season.

  • Averaged 23.5 points on nearly 60 percent shooting, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals against Michigan State and Penn State last week
  • On the road against nationally ranked Michigan State, finished with 18 points and 63.6 percent shooting with four assists and three steals
  • Tallied a season-best 29 points against Penn State on Sunday, shooting 56.3 percent from the floor, including 75 percent from long range, with five assists and two steals
  • Earns his fourth career Big Ten Player of the Week honor and third this season

Burke is now averaging 18.6 points per game for the season. If he maintains or betters than average, it'll be the highest for a Michigan player in the 21st century, topping Manny Harris's 18.1 ppg for 2009-10.

Burke is also on pace for the best assist per game mark in Michigan history. He's averaging 6.885 assists per game this season, while Gary Grant averaged 6.882 in the 1987-88 season.

Often overlooked are the remarkably few turnovers Burke commits—only 47 for the season, which translates into a 3.8 assist-to-turnover ratio. That's probably the best in Michigan history. By comparison, Grant committed 150 turnovers in 1987-88, while his assist total was 234.

Raoul

February 18th, 2013 at 10:29 AM ^

And Tom Crean is now channelling Rodney Dangerfield as well. It was reported on Twitter that he was complaining about Burke winning the award on the weekly Big Ten coaches teleconference. He evidently doesn't understand it's not a team award.

Raoul

February 18th, 2013 at 10:54 AM ^

Here's Baumgardner with a quick article on this: Indiana's Tom Crean not thrilled with Trey Burke's Big Ten Player of the Week honor

And Crean now in damage-control mode:

SeattleWolverine

February 18th, 2013 at 2:33 PM ^

It would be interesting to go back and look at when Indiana players have won Player of the Week or Freshman of the Week under Crean. I'm too lazy to look it up but I would be shocked if they haven't gotten those awards under Crean during a week where they also lost. Of course, if that happened I am 100% certain that he must have questioned the criteria and objected vehemently to individual play being valued more highly than team success in determining the winner of an individual award given weekly.  /s

omgcodysignedon

February 18th, 2013 at 10:32 AM ^

I think it's very key that even though we have went through the gauntlet of the schedule Trey Burke has still played well

LSAClassOf2000

February 18th, 2013 at 11:24 AM ^

Congratulations to Trey on another player of the week honor, first and foremost. The fact that, as a team, we're winning this about once a month on average and that Trey has three of them speaks volumes about the steady, significant contribution he makes regardless of venue, and how he is able to step it up when things aren't necessarily going Michigan's way.

MFanWM

February 18th, 2013 at 3:24 PM ^

I am guessing Trey would have gladly given up the weekly award for a win in EL as well, I hope that something sparks the team as winning a weekly award is great and he is well deserving.

I am hoping that a few players step back up to include Hardaway who has been a bit absent since his second half play at Wisconsin.  This team has really regressed from early on, and needs to find some desire, effort and focus on defense and on the boards or all of these individual weekly awards will not have led to much.

Also, someone needs to send Crean some Midol.

Wolverine Devotee

February 18th, 2013 at 3:36 PM ^

Trey is 13 points away from being the 46th member of the 1000 Point Club at Michigan.

Jordan Morgan is also 12 boards away from being the 41st member of the 500 Rebounds Club. 

woosterwolverine1224

February 18th, 2013 at 11:23 PM ^

But I think what is going to happen after Burke goes pro is a new, more innovative offense.  Beilein has the unique luxury this year of having a great pg who can score in so many ways that his offense doesn't need to be as intricate as when he had less talented players.  I'm not saying we will be going to be just fine witout him, but I think it will be interesting to see what the offense looks like next year.