Charlie Bell Named Big Ten Co-Player Of The Week
12/31/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2000
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State senior guard Charlie Bell (Flint, Mich./Southwestern Academy) was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week for men's basketball on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2000. In games against Bowling Green and Wright State, Bell averaged 22.0 points, 8.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds. He also shot 50 percent (15-30) from the field, 53.8 percent (7-13) from three-point range and 70.0 percent from the free-throw line.
On Dec. 27 against Bowling Green, Bell recorded 18 points, three rebounds and five assists. On Dec. 30 against Wright State, Bell scored 26 points and tied his career high with 11 assists while grabbing five rebounds. He also established career highs in three-point field goals made (5) and attempted (8). With only two turnovers, Bell had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 5.5-to-1. This was the 12th 20-plus point game of Bell's career and his third-career double-double.
Bell shares player of the week honors with Northwestern junior forward Tavaras Hardy, who led the Wildcats to a 63-61 upset win over No. 16 USC. Hardy tallied 20 points, four rebounds and two assists in NU's first win over a ranked opponent in over two years.
This is the second time this season that Bell has been named Co-Player of the Week. He first earned the honor on Nov. 20 after recording a triple-double in the season opener against Oakland with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He is the only Big Ten player to record a triple-double this season.
One of 30 midseason candidates for the John Wooden Award and All-America team, Bell ranks fourth in the conference in scoring (17.4 ppg) and leads the Big Ten in assists (6.36 apg). In addition he is asked to guard the opponent's top scorer and has assumed the point guard duties while Marcus Taylor is out with an injury. He has played a major role in Michigan State's 11-0 record and No. 1 ranking in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls.
Michigan State opens the Big Ten season on Wednesday, Jan. 3, at 6 p.m. against Penn State.
