PARK RIDGE, Ill. (AP) — Illinois senior guard D.J. Richardson shares this week's Big Ten Player of the Week award for his key role in the Illini's two season-changing wins over Top 25 opponents.

Richardson averaged 18 points a game and shot 50 percent from the field in Illinois' wins over Indiana and Minnesota. That included 23 points against Indiana and eight late in the game that fueled the Illini's comeback.

Richardson shares this week's honor with Wisconsin guard Ben Brust. He scored 14 in the Badgers' upset of Michigan.

This is the first Big Ten Player of the Week award for Richardson.

The last Illini to win the award was Brandon Paul in mid-December. Since then, the Illini had struggled and fallen out of the NCAA Tournament discussion. This week's wins changed that.