Big Ten Honors Steinbach Greatness Once More

While his University of Washington basketball team has been maddeningly up and down -- behind by 21, up by 3 with 11.6 seconds to go and a loser by 5 just on Saturday alone -- freshman power forward Hannes Steinbach remains a beacon of consistently good play.

On Monday, the league selected the 6-foot-11 Steinbach as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second consecutive week and fourth time overall.

He was feted again after his sensational 22-point and 24-rebound effort against USC, followed by a 26-point, 13-rebound performance against Oregon.

Steinbach's 24 rebounds were the most by a UW basketball player since 1972.

Hannes Steinbach dunks on Michigan. | Dave Sizer photo

While all of the awards are a good thing, the European standout is likely down to his final week of Husky basketball as the team enters the Big Ten Tournament and plays USC again on Wednesday in Chicago.

Steinbach has been so good, he's come up with 20 double-double performances in 28 games this season for the Huskies (15-16 overall, 7-13 Big Ten), the most by a conference freshman since 1997.

He's twice been named USBWA National Freshman of the Week.

Because of all this, Steinbach likely will enter the NBA Draft, get selected in the middle of the first round and get on with a professional career while the Huskes try to regroup without him next season.

Hannes Steinbach had his 19th double-double of the season against USC by halftime. | Dave Sizer photo

Steinbach averaged 26 points and 18.5 rebounds while shooting 78.3 percent from the floor during the week. The first-year forward has put together four consecutive games with 20 points or more, 10-plus rebounds and a shooting percentage of at least 65 percent, the first Big Ten player to do this in the last 30 years.

He was never better this season than in the UW’s 91-72 victory over USC, in becoming the third Husky since 1977 with a 20-20 outing. Steinbach’s 24 rebounds were the fourth most in a single game in program history.

Steinbach followed with 26 points and 13 rebounds at Oregon, this after foul trouble relegated him to just 10 minutes of action and 4 points and a lone rebound in the opening half.

On Monday morning, the Huskies left for Chicago and their first-round game in two days against USC, a team they swept during the regular season. Should they win the tourney opener, they get Wisconsin on Thursday.

Steinbach will enter the postseason with18.6 scoring and 11.6 rebounding averages, making him the most prolific UW freshman player ever in school annals.