Purdue and Illinois Collect Score Men’s Basketball Weekly Honors
Boilermakers’ Smith and Illini’s Mirkovic score Big Ten weekly awards
Player of the Week
Braden Smith, Purdue
G – Sr. – 6-0 – Westfield, Ind. – Westfield
• Averaged 22.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 7.5 assists at Purdue scored a pair of wins
• Scored 29 points, including 21 in the second half, in the Boilermakers’ 80-80 win at No. 8 Alabama
• Recorded his 19th career double-double with 16 points and 10 assists in a win over defending MAC champion and preseason favorite Akron
• Claims second career Player of the Week honor
• Last Purdue Player of the Week: Trey Kaufman-Renn (February 10, 2025)
Freshman of the Week
David Mirkovic, Illinois
F – 6-9 – Niksic, Montenegro – SC Derby
• Paired 19 points and 12.5 rebounds last week, as the Illini claimed two victories
• Posted the first 20 point-20 rebound game by an Illini in 53 years with career highs of 27 points and 21 rebounds in the win over Colgate, along with three assists.
• His 21 boards also set the Illini freshman single-game rebounding record, breaking the previous mark of 17
• Earns second consecutive Freshman of the Week award
• Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: David Mirkovic (November 10, 2025)
2025-26 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Players of the Week
Nov. 17
P: Braden Smith, PUR
F: David Mirkovic, ILL
Nov. 10
P: Tucker DeVries, IND
P: Bruce Thornton, OSU
F: David Mirkovic, ILL