Jan. 8, 2013
For Immediate Release
Contact: Joe Mitch
314-795-6821
Sophomore guard pushes Wolverines to 15-0
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MICHIGAN'S BURKE IS OSCAR
ROBERTSON NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected Michigan guard Trey Burke as its Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Jan. 6. The USBWA's weekly honor is presented by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and will be handed out each Tuesday through Feb. 19 this season.

Burke

As the Big Ten Conference Player of the Week, Burke 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.

Burke, a 6-0 sophomore from Columbus, Ohio, helped the Wolverines remain a perfect on the season (15-0) with a pair of Big Ten wins at Northwestern (94-66) and Iowa (95-67). The two conference wins marked the first time Michigan has scored 90-plus points in back-to-back Big Ten games since the 1999-2000 season.

For the week, Burke averaged 21.0 points, 8.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals while shooting 61.5 percent (16-26) from the field and 55.6 percent (5-9) from 3-point range. At Northwestern, he scored 23 points to go with five assists and career-best four steals. He followed that by recording his third double-double against Iowa with 19 points and a career-best 12 assists. After opening the game missing his first three shots, he closed making seven straight, going 7-10 from the field.

This is the fourth season that the USBWA has selected a national player of the week. The weekly Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week will be considered for the Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list, which will be released at mid-season.

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.

Oscar Robertson TrophyAt the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership. The winner of the Oscar Robertson Trophy presented by Aflac will be presented by its namesake, Oscar Robertson, at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards on April 15, 2013, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award and the Integris Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award will also be presented at the gala to be held annually the Monday following the NCAA Men's Final Four.

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 Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821.

Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, the most comprehensive college basketball publication in the world, returns for its 32nd season, bigger and better in 2012-13. Blue Ribbon – long-known as "The Bible of College Basketball" – gives its readers the most thorough, up-to-date and timely evaluations of every Division I team in the country. For more information about Blue Ribbon Yearbooks, visit blueribbonyearbookonline.com.

2012-13 Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week
Week of Dec. 9: Brandon Paul, Illinois (Big Ten Conference)
Week of Dec. 16: Doug McDermott, Creighton (Missouri Valley Conference)
Week of Dec. 23: Victor Rudd, South Florida (Big East Conference)
Week of Dec. 30: Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA (Pac-12 Conference)
Week of Jan. 6: Trey Burke, Michigan (Big Ten Conference)
Week of Jan. 13: Elston Turner, Texas A&M (Southeastern Conference)
Week of Jan. 20: Roosevelt Jones, Butler (Atlantic 10 Conference)
Week of Jan. 27: Darrun Hilliard, Villanova (Big East Conference)
Week of Feb. 3: Shane Larkin, Miami (Atlantic Coast Conference)
Week of Feb. 10: Mason Plumlee, Duke (Atlantic Coast Conference)
Week of Feb. 17: Michael Lyons, Air Force (Mountain West Conference)