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Ohio State guard Malaki Branham earns second straight Big Ten Freshman of the Week

Branham is the first Buckeye to earn freshman of the week honors in back-to-back weeks since DeAngelo Russell in February 2015.
Credit: AP Photo/Doug McSchooler
Ohio State guard Malaki Branham (22) adjust the sleeve on his arm during an NCAA college basketball game against Indiana, Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, in Bloomington, Ind.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the second consecutive week, Ohio State freshman guard Malaki Branham has been named the Big Ten Conference's Freshman of the Week.

He shares the honor this week with Michigan State’s Max Christie.

Branham averaged 18.5 points, four assists and 1.5 blocks per game in a pair of games last week.

The Columbus native led the Buckeyes with 13 points against Indiana Thursday.

Branham was 5-of-8 from the floor and a career-best 13-of-14 from the free throw line to finish with 24 points in the win over Northwestern on Sunday.

He also dished out a career-high five assists and tied a career-high with three steals against the Wildcats.

In those two games, Branham went 15-of-16 from the foul line.

He has scored in double figures in the last three games for a total of 72 points. The freshman only had 63 through the first 10 games.

Branham is the first Buckeye to earn freshman of the week honors in back-to-back weeks since DeAngelo Russell in February 2015.

Branham picked up his first weekly honors last week after he scored a season-high 35 points in an overtime win against Nebraska.

His 35 points against the Cornhuskers are the most by an Ohio State freshman in a Big Ten game and second only to Jared Sullinger who scored 40 against IUPUI as a freshman in 2010.

It also tied Keita Bates-Diop for the most by any Buckeye in a Big Ten game since 2000.

Ohio State will travel to Wisconsin this Thursday before returning home to host Penn State on Sunday.

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