Michigan State University Athletics
Denzel Valentine Named Naismith Trophy Player of the Week
2/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 16, 2016 
Senior guard Denzel Valentine was named the Naismith Trophy Player of the Week as announced by the office on Tuesday. Valentine averaged 28.5 points, 11.5 assists, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game in the Spartans' split versus nationally ranked Purdue and Indiana.
He opened the week with a near triple-double, totaling 27 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in a one-point overtime loss at Purdue. Against Indiana, he scored 30 points, while dishing out a career-high 13 assists and grabbing five rebounds. Sunday's game vs. the Hoosiers marked his fourth 25-point, 10-assist and five-rebound game of the year - the most in the nation since 2010-11.
Valentine is averaging 19.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 22 games this season and ranks first in the Big Ten in scoring (19.5) and assists (7.1) and tied for sixth in rebounds (7.1).
The Lansing native is the only player in Big Ten history to record 1,300 points, 700 rebounds and 500 assists in his career.
Valentine was named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Top 20, the John R. Wooden Award Late Season Top 20, the Naismith Award Midseason Watch List and is one of 10 finalists for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.
Michigan State returns to action on Thursday, Feb. 18, at home vs. Wisconsin. Tipoff from East Lansing is slated for 9 p.m. on ESPN.
Senior guard Denzel Valentine was named the Naismith Trophy Player of the Week as announced by the office on Tuesday. Valentine averaged 28.5 points, 11.5 assists, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game in the Spartans' split versus nationally ranked Purdue and Indiana.
He opened the week with a near triple-double, totaling 27 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in a one-point overtime loss at Purdue. Against Indiana, he scored 30 points, while dishing out a career-high 13 assists and grabbing five rebounds. Sunday's game vs. the Hoosiers marked his fourth 25-point, 10-assist and five-rebound game of the year - the most in the nation since 2010-11.
Valentine is averaging 19.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 22 games this season and ranks first in the Big Ten in scoring (19.5) and assists (7.1) and tied for sixth in rebounds (7.1).
The Lansing native is the only player in Big Ten history to record 1,300 points, 700 rebounds and 500 assists in his career.
Valentine was named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Top 20, the John R. Wooden Award Late Season Top 20, the Naismith Award Midseason Watch List and is one of 10 finalists for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.
Michigan State returns to action on Thursday, Feb. 18, at home vs. Wisconsin. Tipoff from East Lansing is slated for 9 p.m. on ESPN.
Players Mentioned
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