Michigan State University Athletics
Kalin Lucas Nabs Second-Team All-Big Ten Honors
3/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 7, 2011
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State men's basketball senior Kalin Lucas earned second-team All-Big Ten recognition as announced by the conference office tonight (March 7). This marks the third-straight season Lucas has earned All-Big Ten honors as he was a first team selection following both the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Draymond Green earned third team honors from both the coaches and the media, while Delvon Roe received all-defensive recognition by the conference coaches. Roe was also MSU's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Purdue's JaJuan Johnson was named Player of the Year, while his coach Matt Painter was voted Coach of the Year by both the coaches and media. Johnson is joined on the first-team by Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Purdue's E'Twaun Moore and Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor. Wisconsin's Jon Leuer rounds out the coaches' first team, while Penn State's Talor Battle is the fifth member of the media's first team. Sullinger was named Freshman of the Year, and Ohio State's Aaron Craft was voted Sixth Man of the Year.
Lucas ends the regular season averaging a career-best 17.0 points per game overall, and 18.4 in the Big Ten play. The Detroit, Mich., native, ended the regular season ranked seventh in the Big Ten in points per game, 12th in assists with 3.3 and 10th in steals (1.1). Despite coming back from a torn Achilles tendon last season, Lucas averaged a personal-high 33.1 minutes per game in 2010-11, good enough for 12th-best in the Big Ten, and increased that mark to 35.7 minutes in league games for seventh in the conference. Lucas ended the regular season scoring double-digit numbers in 20 of the last 21 contests.
Green, a year removed from Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year honors, earns all-league honors for the second-straight year, having also earned third-team honors last season. On the year, Green led the Spartans in both rebounds (8.3) and in assists (3.9) as well as in steals (52). The Saginaw, Mich., native, is one of eight players in the nation to lead his team in rebounding and assists. Green recorded a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio in conference, placing him eighth within the Big Ten. Offensively, Green is averaging a career-best 12.2 points per contest as well as a personal-high 29.6 minutes a game. Against Penn State on Feb. 10, Green became the third player in MSU history to record a triple-double when he totaled 15 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.
Roe becomes only the third different Spartan to earn all-defensive team honors, and the first since Travis Walton in 2009. This year, Roe led the Green and White in blocks with 35 total and 19 against Big Ten foes. His 5.1 boards on the year are good enough for second on the team while his 25 steals on the year are third. On the glass, Roe's 55 offensive rebounds are 15th-best in the Big Ten this season. Roe tied his career-best block mark with five against Northwestern on Jan. 15 at home.
The Spartans return to action on Thursday, March 10 when they face Iowa in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, Ind. MSU and the No. 10 seed Hawkeyes will play at approximately 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
