UCF forward Hendricks earns top AAC freshman award

Despite leading all AAC freshmen in scoring (15.6), rebounds (6.8) and blocks (1.7) as well as setting a conference record for most AAC rookie of the week awards (9), UCF men’s basketball forward Taylor Hendricks was not named the league’s freshman of the year.

Instead, the top freshman honor went to Houston’s Jarace Walker, as voted on by the league’s coaches, the AAC announced Wednesday.

Hendricks was still a unanimous pick for the conference’s all-freshman squad and earned secondteam All-AAC.

Houston, the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament and the top team in the country, won 6 of 7 individual awards.

Marcus Sasser was named player of the year, Jamal Shead was defensive player of the year, Reggie Chaney was the sixth man of the year, J’Wan Roberts was the most improved player, and Kelvin Sampson was coach of the year.

East Carolina’s Ludgy Debaut and Tulane’s Sion James split the sportsmanship award.

Hendricks, the first Knight to be named All-AAC second-team or better since the 2018-19 season, was the only UCF player selected.

The 6-foot-9 forward started all 30 games during the regular season and led the team in scoring, rebounds and blocks.

“It would mean the world because that was never a thought to mine going into this,” Hendricks said Tuesday after practice at possibly winning the top freshman award.

Hendricks didn’t envision himself winning, but it became clear as the season went on that he would be in contention.

Hendricks set the conference record for most rookie of the week awards with his seventh on Feb. 13. Since then, he has won three of the last four weekly honors to bring his total to nine.

Houston’s Walker won the weekly award six times.