Villanova’s Brunson AP’s player of 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, 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.

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 after leading the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring (21.0) and rebounding (11.1).

■ Virginia’s Tony Bennett is The Associated Press men’s coach of the year. Bennett was the runaway winner for the award, getting 50 of 65 votes from AP Top 25 writers. Bennett also won the award in 2007 when he was at Washington State.

■ A’ja Wilson of South Carolina is the AP women’s college basketball player of the year. The 6-foot-5 star received 22 votes from 32-member national media panel that selects the weekly AP Top 25. Katie Lou Samuelson of UConn received five votes while Kalani Brown of Baylor, Asia Durr of Louisville, Megan Gustafson of Iowa, Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon and Victoria Vivians of Mississippi State each received one vote.

■ Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw was named The Associated Press women’s basketball Coach of the Year after leading the Irish to a 33-3 record and the team’s first trip to the Final Four in three seasons.

■ Daryl Thomas, who was a starter on Indiana University’s 1987 NCAA championship team, has died. Thomas, 52, had been the basketball coach at Montini Catholic High School in suburban Chicago since 2015. Thomas died from a heart attack.