Tariq Francis Named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week
Dec 22 | Men's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's basketball guard Tariq Francis was named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week alongside UCLA's Skyy Clark, the conference announced Monday, following a historic performance in the Scarlet Knights' victory over Penn at Jersey Mike's Arena.
Francis poured in a career-high 34 points, leading Rutgers to a dramatic win by drilling the game-winning shot in the final seconds. His scoring outburst marked the highest single-game total by a Scarlet Knight this season and one of the top individual performances in the Big Ten this year.
Francis is the fifth Scarlet Knight to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors since Rutgers joined the conference, joining Dylan Harper, Jeremiah Williams, Cam Spencer and Geo Baker, who won the award twice.
"What a response for Tariq in this game," head coach Steve Pikiell said postgame. "We challenged him after that Seton Hall game, and he had a great week of practice. He didn't turn the ball over, really bounced back, and played really good basketball on Saturday night."
The junior guard was unstoppable offensively, showcasing his ability to score at all three levels while shouldering the offensive load throughout the night. Francis connected from deep, attacked the rim, and delivered in the game's biggest moment, calmly knocking down the decisive basket to secure the win for Rutgers.
Francis capped the dominant performance by finishing with 34 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. He relentlessly attacked the basket, earning 19 free-throw attempts and converting 15, while also recording two steals, including one in the final minute that directly led to points. He played a team-high 28 minutes.
The performance marked Francis' first career Big Ten Player of the Week honor.
Rutgers continues play next week with a matchup against Delaware State on Dec. 29, as the Scarlet Knights build momentum behind Francis' standout performance.
