Gophers’ Garcia named Big Ten Player of the Week
Minnesota forward Dawson Garcia (3) goes up for a shot against UTSA forward Trey Edmonds, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
A University of Minnesota men’s basketball player has earned a conference honor for his first week of the season.
Dawson Garcia was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday.
It comes after he averaged 22.5 points, 10 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in the Gophers’ first two wins.
He had a double-double with 23 points and 14 rebounds in the game against Bethune-Cookman, which made him the first Gopher to start a season with a double-double since Daniel Oturu in 2019.
Garcia is the first Gopher to win the weekly award since Payton Willis on Jan. 24, 2022. His first-week averages also place him second in the conference in scoring, fifth in rebounding and tied for seventh in assists.
Minnesota is back in action Thursday night when Missouri comes to town.