Malaki Branham's stellar first season has been rewarded with several impressive Big Ten honors.
The four-star prospect out of Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary High School is the first Buckeye to earn the Big Ten Freshman of the Year honor since D'Angelo Russell in 2014-15, having averaged 13.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 28 starts during the regular season.
Joining Branham on the All-Freshman team are Nebraska guard Bryce McGowens, Wisconsin guard Chucky Hepburn, Michigan State guard Max Christie and Michigan forward Moussa Diabate.
Branham was also named third-team All-Big Ten on both the coaches and media ballots, with McGowens, Illinois guard Alfonso Plummer, Michigan State forward Gabe Brown and Purdue's Trevion Williams also included on the former list and Wisconsin's Brad Davison mading the cut over Brown and Baker on the latter.
Branham exploded onto the scene with a 35-point performance in Ohio State's first game back from a 22-day COVID-19 absence through December, going off against Nebraska on Jan. 2 and never looking back from there.
Since that game, Branham averaged 16.9 points on 52.3 percent shooting in the final 19 games of the regular season. That stretch included seven 20-point performances, and two with at least 30.
Branham earned the Big Ten's Freshman of the Week honor on three occasions, and has played in every game for Ohio State thus far.
Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell was the only other Buckeye to make an all-conference team, as the junior took home first-team honors on both ballots. Senior forward Justin Ahrens was Ohio State's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
