Each week, a five-member womenshoopsworld.com panel votes to determine the best collegiate player of the preceding week.
In the final weeks of conference play, elite players elevate the intensity level of their teams’ play in an attempt to make the last push for conference seeding, and to make the case to the Selection Committee to get into the NCAA Tournament, and off the Tournament bubble. One of the tightest conference races in the country is in the Big Ten, and no star shined brighter there than Michigan State senior guard, Tori Jankoska, the WomensHoopsWorld player of the week for Feb. 13-19.
Jankoska began the week tallying a triple-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, as the Spartans beat Minnesota 85-69. Among the more impressive aspects of her play against the Gophers, was Jankoska’s outstanding 10-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. She also was 6-14 from beyond the three-point arc, and became the first player in school history to score over 2,000 points.
Against arch-rival Michigan Sunday, Jankoska continued her strong performance for the week with a game-high 28 points, as the Spartans upset the No. 20 Wolverines on the road. She was 10 of 16 from the field, made five three-point shots, and helped lead her team back from a deficit to take the win in a front of a Crisler Center women’s basketball record crowd of 12,707. While besting the Wolverines, the 5-8 guard also became the MSU all-time career leader in three-point field goals made, with 297.
For the week, Jankoska averaged 26 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. She is on the watch lists for postseason accolades (Wade Trophy and Staley Award) and is drawing attention from WNBA scouts and executives as a potential draft prospect.
The Spartans and Jankoska will continue to attempt to improve their Big Ten seeding and their resume for the NCAA committee Wednesday, as they host Penn State in their final home game of the season.
