Ohio State freshman guard Michael Redd was selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Tuesday by both the conference coaches and the media panel.Redd, who is the leading freshman scorer in the nation, became the first freshman to lead the Big Ten in scoring with a 21.8 point per game mark. He was also named third team all-Big Ten by both the media and the coaches.”I’m very happy for Michael that he was selected as freshman of the year and I think that it is very well-deserved,” said Ohio State coach Jim O’Brien. “I think that he had a marvelous season.”Redd said that he was delighted to have been selected for the award and he attributed it to his hard work.”It’s a great honor and I’m very pleased they chose me,” he said. “I worked so hard this summertime and it paid off. I was doing well my senior year, it spilled over to summer league, now here.”Redd, a Columbus native who played his prep ball at West High School, said that it feels good to finally be recognized for his on-the- court effort after being overshadowed in high school. Independence star Kenny Gregory, now playing as a freshman for the Kansas Jayhawks and Westland star Doug Davis, who is currently a freshman at Michigan State, stole some of the spotlight from Redd’s prep performances.”A lot of people didn’t know about me coming out of high school and some of the other big-time freshman were getting the publicity and I didn’t get that much,” he said. “So I came in this year with something to prove.”In his first season donning the Scarlet and Gray, Redd did a lot more than scoring, as he also led the team in rebounds and steals, grabbing 6.6 boards a game and averaging two thefts a game. Redd also averaged three assists per game.He was quick to point that he could not have had the season that he had without a little help.”It’s all due to my teammates, they gave the ball to me most of the time,” Redd said. “Coach O’Brien had confidence in me to do what I do on the court, and I thank him for that too.”On his way to earning Freshman of the Year honors, Redd also shattered several OSU freshman records: most points (633); scoring average (21.8); field goals (234); free throws (121); 3-point field goals (44) and steals (58).Redd said that he started off the year with high expectations.”When you come in with high goals you can accomplish more than you think and that’s what I did this year,” he said. “I wanted to contribute to the team as best as I could this year.”And does it bother Redd that he was not a unanimous selection?”No, not at all, as long as I won it, I think that’s all that matters,” Redd said. “I think probably Luke Recker (Indiana Hoosier guard) was competing with me for it, he’s a great player and he’s proven why he should’ve been Rookie of the Year.”But hopefully we’ll see Thursday who’s Rookie of the Year.”Redd becomes the third Buckeye to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year accolades, following in the footsteps of Jim Jackson (1990) and Greg Simpson (1993).