[media-credit name=’DEREK MONTGOMERY/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]The accolades continue to pour in for University of Wisconsin standout Mike Wilkinson. The Big Ten announced its all-conference men’s basketball teams Tuesday, with a pair of Badgers receiving honors. Wilkinson, a senior forward, earned first-team honors from the league’s coaches and media, while sophomore forward Alando Tucker garnered a pair of third-team selections.

Other than Big Ten Player of the Year Dee Brown of Illinois, Wilkinson was the only unanimous selection by the coaches. For the season, Wilkinson averaged 14.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, good for eighth and fifth in the conference, respectively. The senior took his game up a notch in Big Ten play, where he ranked sixth in the league in scoring (16.5 points per game) and third in rebounding (8.1 per game). Wilkinson scored at least 20 points on five different occasions in league play, including a career-high 29 in a home win over Ohio State.

However, for Wilkinson, who recently earned first-team all-district honors, the most important statistic is 20 — as in the number of wins the Badgers have racked up this season.

“Really based on just how the team does, it’s been a successful year,” Wilkinson said. “We’ve still got a lot more to accomplish and it’s not over. [Making first team is] a nice honor, and I’m proud of it, but the reason I got there is me and my teammates. My teammates did a nice job of stepping up and helping every step of the way.”

Wilkinson’s utterly unselfish acceptance of the honor comes as no surprise to those very teammates who he says have aided him throughout his career. Even in the locker room, away from the media attention and spotlight, the Blue Mound native refuses to get wrapped up in individual accomplishments.

“Mike is just the type of guy — he doesn’t just say that to just put on a front for anybody,” Tucker said of Wilkinson’s attitude. “We can talk to him after the games about, ‘Mike, man. You should have had that extra rebound to get that double-double. We think you were cheated out of it.’ We just joke around with him like that, and he’s like, ‘As long as the team won … ‘ And we’re like, ‘Mike, there’s nobody around. It’s just us. Tell us you were cheated out of that.’ And he always says, ‘No, I’m glad we won.'”

Last season, Wilkinson garnered second-team all-conference honors after averaging 13.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while taking a backseat to Big Ten Player of the Year Devin Harris. This year, however, Wilkinson has had to step up with Harris in the NBA and injuries battering his team.

“[Wilkinson]’s put in work,” Tucker said. “When guys … like when I went down for a couple of games, he was still out there and he battled. He battled through a couple of little injuries earlier in the season. So he’s put in a lot of work.”

For Tucker, the honors cap a long and tough road back from numerous injuries. After exploding onto the conference scene in his Wisconsin debut en route to earning Big Ten all-freshman team and honorable-mention all-conference honors, Tucker missed all but four games a year ago due to a foot injury.

“It just shows that hard work still pays off,” Tucker said of his all-conference awards. “It’s an old saying, but it does — hard work, and working to get back on the court, working to help my team establish a good season. It’s satisfying for me as a person.”

This season, Tucker led Wisconsin in scoring (15.0 points per game) and ranked second in rebounding (6.7 per game). The sophomore has battled another series of foot injuries that have combined to cause him to miss three conference games, as well as hobbling him in several others.

“[Tucker]’s been injured all year,” Wilkinson said. “For him to play through some of the injuries he’s had, and just always be out there and fighting, working hard, it really says a lot to the type of personality that he has — that he’s always going to show up, he’s always going to play hard no matter if something’s hurting or something’s not. Mentally, that’s a big part of the game. Just having someone like him on the floor has really made us a lot better.”

With the award, Wilkinson continues a UW streak — the Badgers have had four-straight first-team selections, with Kirk Penney in 2002 and 2003, Harris last season and now Wilkinson. Though he may refuse to boast even a little of his accomplishments, Tucker suspects even the modest Wilkinson is pleased with his most recent honor.

“I think he’s personally happy,” Tucker said. “He’s done a lot for Wisconsin, the team. I think he’s happy, but he’s not satisfied.”