Sullinger nets 10th Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor

After continuing to provide the No. 1-ranked Ohio State men’s basketball team clutch support last week, forward Jared Sullinger was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the 10th time this season.

Sullinger averaged 19 points on 58.3 percent shooting and grabbed 7.5 rebounds per game last week, leading the Buckeyes to victory against then-No. 12 Purdue on Jan. 25 and Northwestern on Saturday. The freshman scored 17 points and picked up seven rebounds in the Buckeyes’ 87-64 steamrollering of the Boilermakers, and he netted 21 points and eight rebounds in the 58-57 win against Northwestern.

With 3.5 seconds left and OSU and Northwestern tied, 57-57, Sullinger stepped to the free-throw line. After his first attempt came up short, Sullinger collected himself and sank the second, putting the Buckeyes ahead, 58-57. OSU held onto that one-point lead for the win, increasing the team’s undefeated streak to 22 games.

The Buckeyes will host Michigan at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Ross Homan to head to 2011 All-Star Football Challenge

Ohio State will be represented at the 2011 All-Star Football Challenge on Friday.

Ross Homan, a senior linebacker on the 2010 OSU football team, will travel to Southlake Senior High School in Grapevine, Texas, to compete in the 13th annual skills challenge alongside 11 other college football stars.

Individual challenges include tests of quarterback accuracy, wide receiver hands, linebacker agility and lineman strength. Offensive and defensive team challenges will follow the individual rounds, and the players will divide into two teams to finish the program with a full-team challenge.

Others competing include quarterbacks Andy Dalton of TCU and Ryan Mallett of Arkansas.

The competition is scheduled to air from 7–9 p.m. Friday on ESPN2.

Melanie Shaffer named Big Ten Freshman of the Week

A sturdy performance in Ohio State’s tri-meet with Bowling Green and Western Michigan on Sunday earned gymnast Melanie Shaffer Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Shaffer contributed to the Buckeyes’ season-high team score of 195.450 with career-highs of 9.800 on beam and 9.850 on floor and a tie of her career-best on vault, 9.825. She won vault and floor and tied for third place on beam.

The No. 16 Buckeyes return to action at 9:30 p.m. Friday at Denver.