Gopher C Walker named Big Ten player of week

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota senior center Maurice Walker has won Big Ten Player of the Week honors.

Walker averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 rebounds. 2.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game as the Gophers went 2-0 against North Dakota and Southern last week.

Against North Dakota, Walker scored a career-high 22 points on 9-for-11 field goal shooting and added seven rebounds, three blocks and a steal in just 23 minutes of action.

Walker followed up with his sixth double-figure scoring performance of the year, adding 11 points with six rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 16 minutes of play against Southern.

It's Walker's first career Big Ten Player of the Week award and the second for Minnesota this season, after Andre Hollins earned the honor last week.