INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected Minnesota center Liam Robbins as its Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Jan. 3.
As the Big Ten Conference Player of the Week, Robbins was nominated for the weekly award, which was chosen by a representative of the USBWA board of directors from a list of Division I conference players of the week. Once again, the USBWA will select a Division I men's National Player of the Week each Tuesday throughout the season. The USBWA has named Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week since the 2009-10 season.
Robbins, a 7-0 junior from Davenport, Iowa, averaged 19.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game last week as the Golden Gophers went 2-1 vs. against ranked conference foes.
In an 81-56 win over Michigan State last Monday, Robbins had 18 points and nine rebounds. Following a 12-point game in a loss at Wisconsin on Thursday, Robbins scored 27 points in a 77-60 defeat of Ohio State on Sunday. The 27 points were a Minnesota career high for the Drake transfer. He also recoreded the first double-double of his Gopher career with a career-high 14 rebounds. For the week, Robbins also had 11 blocks, added six assists and went 18-for-35 from the field (51.4 percent). He leads the Big Ten in blocks per game with 2.8.
Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation's oldest award and the only one named after a former player.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.
2020-21 Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week
Week ending Dec. 20: Boo Buie, Northwestern (Big Ten
Conference)
· Week ending Dec. 27: Corey Kispert,
Gonzaga (West Coast Conference)
· Week ending
Jan. 3: Liam Robbins, Minnesota (Big Ten Conference)
·
Week ending Jan. 10: Matthew Hurt, Duke (Atlantic
Coast Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 17: Matt
Lewis, James Madison (Colonial Athletic Association)
·
Week ending Jan. 24: Jared Butler, Baylor (Big 12
Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 31: Keve Aluma,
Virginia Tech (Atlantic Coast Conference)
·
Week ending Feb. 7: Terry Taylor, Austin Peay (Ohio Valley Conference)
·
Week ending Feb. 14: Drew Timme, Gonzaga (West Coast
Conference)
· Week ending Feb. 21: Noah Williams,
Washington State (Pac-12 Conference)
· Week
ending Feb. 28: Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State (Big 12 Conference)