▁named ▁Big ▁Ten ▁Player ▁of ▁the ▁Year . ▁On ▁March ▁ 9 , ▁N BC S ports . com ▁named ▁Valent ine ▁National ▁Player ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁and ▁First ▁Team ▁All - American . ▁On ▁March ▁ 9 , ▁Valent ine ▁was ▁named ▁to ▁the ▁Sport ing ▁News ▁All - American ▁Team . ▁ ▁Big ▁Ten ▁Tournament ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁quarter final s ▁of ▁the ▁Big ▁Ten ▁Tournament , ▁MS U ▁faced ▁Ohio ▁State ▁for ▁the ▁third ▁time ▁in ▁ 1 8 ▁days . ▁And , ▁like ▁the ▁prior ▁two ▁games , ▁MS U ▁ble w ▁out ▁OS U , ▁winning ▁ 8 1 – 5 4 . ▁Valent ine ▁led ▁the ▁way ▁with ▁ 1 9 ▁points , ▁ 9 ▁reb ounds , ▁and ▁ 8 ▁ass ists . ▁The ▁win ▁moved ▁MS U ▁to ▁ 2 7 – 5 ▁overall ▁as ▁they ▁moved ▁on ▁to ▁the ▁semif inals ▁vs . ▁Maryland . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁semif inals , ▁MS U ▁faced ▁Maryland ▁for ▁the ▁second ▁time ▁this ▁season . ▁The ▁game ▁was ▁close ▁throughout ▁and ▁off ense ▁was ▁hard ▁to ▁come ▁by ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half . ▁But , ▁MS U ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁hold ▁off ▁Maryland ▁to ▁win ▁ 6 4 – 6 1 . ▁Valent ine ▁led ▁the ▁Spart ans ▁with ▁ 1 8 ▁points , ▁ 7 ▁reb ounds ▁and ▁ 1 0 ▁ass ists . ▁The ▁Spart ans ▁moved ▁to ▁ 2 8 – 5 ▁overall ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁Big ▁Ten ▁Championship ▁against ▁Pur due . ▁