Maryland men’s basketball guard Varun Ram and women’s basketball center Malina Howard both earned the Big Ten Medal of Honor on Tuesday, the school announced. The award, considered the league’s most exclusive decoration, recognizes both academic and athletic achievement.
Ram, who played in 21 games last season and made a game-winning steal in Maryland’s NCAA tournament win over Valparaiso, announced last month that he would return to the team next season. Currently holding a 3.952 grade point average, he will graduate this spring with a degree in physiology and neurobiology.
Howard was a staple in the Maryland’s run to a second consecutive Final Four under Brenda Frese, starting all 37 games.