Player of the year: Obi Toppin – Dayton
There is no shortage of players that should be considered for the National Player of the year award but when it comes down to the actual choice, there is only one correct choice. While someone like Markus Howard or Luka Garza can put up great stat lines, their overall value to the team is not as great as Obi Toppin’s. Toppin is a long, athletic, strong, versatile forward that can do it all. Toppin can step out and bury a three, he goes inside and can score efficiently, and most notably he can put on a dunk show in a game. Toppin does it all while having fun and also while being the main reason why Dayton was able to finish the season as a Top-5 team.
Freshman of the year: Vernon Carey Jr. – Duke
Vernon Carey put up a really strong season this year, he averaged 17.8 PPG on a team that was one of the best teams in the sport. Carey was oftentimes the go-to guy for Duke and was great when he wasn’t in foul trouble. Carey is a really easy choice for this award given the overall lacking amount of great freshman but nonetheless is a worthy choice for this award.
Coach of the year: Scott Drew – Baylor
This is one of the hardest choices to make, there are three coaches that are worthy of receiving this award as Brian Dutcher, Anthony Grant, and Scott Drew all are good choices for this award. Ultimately I went with Drew because he took his Baylor team to the next level. For much of the year, Baylor was the number one team in the country and that was for good reason, the team won 23-straight games. Drew led the Bears to their first win in Allen Fieldhouse which was also impressive. The other thing is that he did it with his best player in the preseason having to play limited minutes thanks to a knee injury.
Defensive Player of the year: Marcus Garrett – Kansas
The defensive player of the year award is one of the harder awards to give out as it is hard to exactly judge value in defense. That being said, I think there’s a really good choice for Defensive Player of the year and that is Marcus Garrett. Garrett is a versatile defender who guards 1-4 on the perimeter and does so by slowing that player down. Garrett is also really good at pickpocketing the opposing ball-handler and taking the ball the other way for a transition opportunity. Garrett is one of the main reasons for the fact the Jayhawks were historically great on the defensive end and why they were the favorites to win the National Championship.
Most Improved Player: Nick Richards – Kentucky
There are plenty of people that improved a lot from one season to the next but there was absolutely no one that improved like Nick Richards. Coming into the year Richards was an afterthought, he was a guy that was often seen sitting on the bench and when he did play, he rarely produced. That all changed this year as Richards went from being an afterthought to one of the best players in the SEC. Richards became a great low-post scorer while he could step out and make an 18-foot jumper. Richards’ improvement is one of the main reasons why Kentucky was still able to end the year as a Top-10 team, without him Kentucky may not have even been a Top-25 team due to the lack of quality options inside.
Glue Guy of the year: Aaron Thompson – Butler
The glue-guy award goes to someone that goes unrecognized at times, someone that does all the little things that no one pays any attention to yet is a key reason that team wins. This year’s choice is an easy one as Aaron Thompson proved to be a very valuable piece for Butler. Thompson acts as Butler’s point guard, he’s a great passer and allows Kamar Baldwin to play off the ball, which is where he excels. Thompson is a good on-ball defender and oftentimes can be seen guarding the opponent’s best ball-handler. Thompson isn’t flashy, he won’t score 25 a night but when on the court Butler is a Top-20 team in the sport, while when he’s not playing, Butler probably isn’t a tournament team.
All-American Teams
First Team
Devon Dotson – Kansas
Payton Pritchard – Oregon
Myles Powell – Seton Hall
Obi Toppin – Dayton
Luka Garza – Iowa
Second Team
Malachi Flynn – San Diego State
Markus Howard – Marquette
Cassius Winston – Michigan State
Jalen Smith – Maryland
Udoka Azubuike – Kansas
Third Team
Remy Martin – Arizona State
Kamar Baldwin – Butler
Jared Butler – Baylor
Filip Petrusev – Gonzaga
Vernon Carey Jr. – Duke
First Team All-Freshmen
Tyrese Maxey – Kentucky
Isaac Okoro – Auburn
Onyeka Okongwu – USC
Vernon Carey Jr. – Duke
Kofi Cockburn – Illinois
First Team All-Defense
Davion Mitchell – Baylor
Marcus Garrett – Kansas
Ty-Shon Alexander – Creighton
Xavier Tillman – Michigan State
Romaro Gill – Seton Hall
First Team All-Most Improved
Immanuel Quickley – Kentucky
Devin Vassell – Florida State
Freddie Gillespie – Baylor
Daniel Oturu – Minnesota
Nick Richards – Kentucky
First Team All-Glue
Aaron Thompson – Butler
Trent Forrest – Florida State
Herb Jones – Alabama
Marcus Garrett – Kansas
Mark Vital – Baylor