UWBadgers.com-
MADISON, Wis. -- For the first time in school history, the University of Wisconsin had two players earn first-team All-Big honors as senior Jon Leuer and junior Jordan Taylor were recognized when the Big Ten announced its year-end awards Monday.
Taylor was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the media (unanimous) and the coaches, while Leuer earned first-team All-Big Ten accolades from the coaches and second-team honors from the media. Fellow senior Keaton Nankivil received honorable mention from both the coaches and media.
“I’m honored to be selected, but I feel that individual awards are a reflection of team success,” Taylor said Monday. “None of us would be recognized if it weren’t for the guys around us and the coaches around us that put us in a position to be successful. It’s a special thing after all the hard work we put in during the offseason and it’s nice to know that it pays off. Coach Ryan always says that if you work hard, the basketball Gods will pay you back.”
“It’s a huge honor to be placed on the same list as the other first-team honorees,” Leuer said. “I think all of the other players on the list represent the Big Ten in the right way. To have your body of work compared on the same level as other great players is really meaningful and I’m honored. You can’t earn these type of honors without your teammates and they definitely deserve just as much recognition and Jordan, Keaton and I.”
UW has now had nine first-team all-conference players in Bo Ryan’s 10 seasons as head coach. Leuer and Taylor are Wisconsin’s first selections to the first team since Brian Butch was a consensus selection in 2008. They are also the first duo to be placed on the same first-team All-Big Ten list in the same season. Michael Finley (coaches) and Rashard Griffith (media) both earned first-team honors on separate lists in 1995.
“In order for us to have the kind of year that we’ve had and some of the success we’ve enjoyed, Jon and Jordan were obviously instrumental in that,” Bo Ryan said. “I’m very proud of them and think that their recognition is richly deserved.”
In addition to first-team All-Big Ten, Taylor was also named to the Big Ten’s All-Defensive Team as selected by the coaches.
“Placing Jordan on the All-Defensive Team shows that people recognize his impact,” Ryan explained. “They notice how hard he plays, that he’s a scrappy player who is all over the place, taking charges, diving for loose balls. This recognizes his commitment to playing defense and working hard.”
“I’m humbled and honored to put in the category of those other great defensive players,” Taylor added. “It’s special to be in a class with guys like JaJuan Johnson, Aaron Craft, David Lighty and Delvon Roe.”
During conference play, Taylor ranked third in the Big Ten averaging 20.1 points per game, while dishing out 4.89 assists per game and tallying a league-high 4.63 assist-to-turnover ratio. Taylor is the only player in the conference to rank in the top five of both scoring and assists.
“Jordan’s recognition shows how hard he has worked,” Leuer said. “I’ve seen first-hand from working with him during the offseason that he’s worked extremely hard to fine-tune his game and he’s polished himself into the best point guard in the country.”
A preseason All-Big Ten selection, Leuer leads the team averaging 18.9 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game, numbers that rank third and fifth in the conference, respectively. Leuer has scored in double figures in every game this season, including 13 games with 20 or more points.
“I thought Jon should have been Player of the Year in the Big Ten, but you can only control what you do on the court,” Taylor said. “Being picked first-team recognizes all the work he’s put in on the court from his freshman year until now. It’s really satisfying for me to watch him progress and have his hard work pay off.”
Nankivil scored in double figures in 14 of the 18 Big Ten games, averaging 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. For the season, Nankivil has connected on 46.6 percent of his 3-point attempts, which ranks third in the Big Ten, making an average of 2.4 per game during conference play. Nankivil was also named UW’s Sportsmanship Award honoree, which is given to an individual who has distinguished himself through sportsmanship and ethical behavior.
“I’ve seen Keaton develop since his freshman year and he’s come a long way,” Leuer said. “In my opinion he should have been third or even second-team All-Big Ten, but just to be recognized is an honor and he’s proved himself. With his shot and all-around game, he’s one of the most skilled big men in country.”
“Keaton has come a long way and he’s done some special things here,” Taylor added. “It’s good to see him getting recognized for his accomplishments.”
“I think that shows how far Keaton has come,” Ryan added. “It’s nice that people have recognized his contributions and how significant they are. He deserves it.”
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