Villanova’s Brunson is AP player of the year
A long list of goals has taken up permanent space on Jalen Brunson’s wall, including becoming a conference player of the year, an All-American and helping Villanova win a second national championship in three seasons.
The junior point guard just reached another one by becoming The Associated Press men’s college basketball player of the year.
Brunson was presented with the award Thursday at the Final Four in San Antonio, where the Wildcats will face Kansas on Saturday in the national semifinals. He earned 36 of 65 votes from the same panel that selects the AP Top 25, with ballots submitted before the start of the NCAA Tournament.
Brunson was joined at the trophy presentation by Coach Jay Wright as he became the first Villanova player to win the AP award. It came two days after Brunson was the leading vote-getter on the AP All-America first team.
“It’s written on my wall,” Brunson said of being an All-American and player of the year. “It’s something that I strived for butnever really focused on. I just knew that the more team success that we had, the individual honors would come.”
Oklahoma freshman Trae Young was second with 15 votes after leading the country in scoring (27.4) and assists (8.7).
Arizona 7-foot-1 freshman Deandre Ayton earned seven votes after averaging 20.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and shooting 61 percent from the floor. Duke freshman Marvin Bagley III earned four votes.
All three of those freshmen have all declared for the NBA draft.
The 6-3 Brunson is averaging 19.2 points and shooting nearly 53 percent. VIRGINIA’S BENNETT TOP COACH » Virginia coach Tony Bennett isn’t going to waver from his foundation, whether it’s the philosophy that built the Cavaliers into a contender or the big-picture perspective that helps him handle the sting of a historically improbable loss.
Both ends of that approach are fully on display now as he is named the AP coach of the year.
Bennett won the honor after his Cavaliers set a program single-season record for wins, dominated the ACC and reached No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time since the Ralph Sampson era. Yet that wildly successful season ended abruptly in the most unexpected way: with the Cavaliers falling to UMBC to become the first No. 1 seed to lose to a 16-seed in NCAA Tournament history.
“They experienced things a lot of guys don’t,” Bennett said. “That kind of success? Oh my gosh. And then that kind of loss? ... But again, their body of work deserves to be celebrated.”
Bennett was the runaway winner for the award. He earned 50 of 65 votes. Tennessee’s Rick Barnes was second with five votes after leading the Volunteers to 26 wins and an NCAA bid despite being picked to finish 13th in the 14-team SEC. First-year Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann was third with four votes. USF EYES HISTORY » After splitting the first two games of the College Basketball Invitational bestof-3 series, USF can make history tonight in Denton, Texas.
The Dons (22-16) are looking to become the first NCAA Division I team to win three different postseason tournaments. USF won back-to-back NCAA titles in 1955 and 1956 and were NIT champs in 1949.
USF won the opener 7262 over North Texas at home, then lost 69- 55 to the Mean Green (19-18) on Wednesday in Denton. Today’s game will be broadcast on ESPNU at 4 p.m.
Santa Clarawon in 2013 by defeating GeorgeMason in three games. PENN STATE WIN SNIT CHAMPIONSHIP» Shep Garner hit the 3-pointer that brought cousin Flavor Flav to his feet and helped send Penn State on its way to an NIT title in an 82-66 victory over Utah at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The fourth- seeded Nittany Lions (26-13) also knocked off No. 1 seed Notre Dame in the tournament en route to winning their first NIT title since 2009.
Lamar Stevens scored 28 points, Josh Reaves had 18 and Tony Carr had 15 points and 14 assists for Penn State.
Flavor Flav, member of the seminal ’ 80s rap group Public Enemy, sang along to “Fight the Power” as it blasted in the Garden and had the PSU student section chanting “Flav! Flav! Flav!” as the Nittany Lions pulled away for a programdefining championship under Coach Pat Chambers.
Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center has a longstanding reputation as one of the dreariest arenas in college basketball. Penn State fans, from rappers to silver- haired alumni, packed the Garden all the way to the last row of the upper deck. AZUBUIKE’S MOM TO SEE HIM PLAY » Udoka Azubuike’s mom will get to see him play for the first time since he left Nigeria six years ago.
U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder of Kansas said that Azubuike’s mother, Florence, had her visa approved, clearing the way for her to watch her son play for Kansas against Villanova.
Azubuike, a sophomore center for the Jayhawks, left home in the ninth grade to play basketball in the United States. He has not seen hismother in person since then.
“It’s going to be an emotional moment for me,” Azubuike said. RECRUIT CHANGES MIND » Syracuse five- star recruit Darius Bazley, who played in the McDonald’s All-American Game on Wednesday, said he changed his mind about college and will head to the NBA’s development league.