Ohio State Forward Justin Ahrens Named Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honoree

Ohio State senior forward Justin Ahrens was named on Tuesday afternoon as the Buckeyes’ Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree in recognition of his sportsmanship and ethical behavior on the court, good academic standing and good citizenship off of the court.

A former three-star prospect from Versailles, Ohio, Ahrens was named a team captain by his peers this season. He then went on to average 5.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 29 games for Ohio State this season, including 18 starts.

An academic All-Big Ten selection as a junior, Ahrens has played in 111 career games for the Buckeyes and was widely regarded as the team’s best three-point shooter, though he struggled to find his groove this season. He’s averaged 40.1 percent from behind the arc during his time with the Buckeyes, down to 36.3 in 2021-22.

Ahrens was joined on the list by Illinois’ Jacob Grandison, Indiana’s Race Thompson, Iowa’s Patrick McCaffery, Maryland’s Simon Wright, Michigan’s Eli Brooks, Michigan State’s Max Christie, Minnesota’s Eric Curry, Nebraska’s Derrick Walker, Northwestern’s Ryan Greer, Penn State’s John Harrar, Purdue’s Sasha Stefanovic, Rutgers’ Clifford Omoruyi and Wisconsin’s Jordan Davis.

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