"First Team" All Straight Up Sports: These players were, in my opinion, the best at their respective positions:
G- Kendall Marshal, UNC
G- Marcus Denmon, Missouri
G/F- Michael Kidd-Gilchrest, Kentucky
G/F- Michael Kidd-Gilchrest, Kentucky
F- Anthony Davis, Kentucky
F- Thomas Robinson, Kansas
The (Very Good) "Second Team" All Straight Up Sports: There were the guys who didn't quite make the cut on the first team, but still had incredible years.
G- Marcus Teague, Kentucky
G- Pierre Jackson, Baylor
G- Bradley Beal, Florida
F- Jae Crowder, Marquette
F- Draymond Green, Michigan State
Honorable Mentions:
John Henson, Doug McDermott, Mike Scott, Michael Snear, Austin Rivers, Tyler Zeller, Kevin Jones, John Shurna, Darius Johnson-Odom.
The 6th Man Award: The 6th Man Award goes to the best bench player in the country. It's not easy to come off the bench, and still give your team what it needs every game to win.
G- Dion Waters, Syracuse
The Freshman of the Year Award:
F- Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Guards Trey Burke (Michigan) and Bradley Beal (Florida), and Indiana forward Cody Zeller were right behind Davis, who not only was the best freshman, but the best player in the country. It was a tough year to be a freshman.
Coach of the Year Award:
This was a very tough one for me, with so many great coaches this year. You had great coaches like Tom Izzo and Roy Williams have good years like usual, and so many great stories across the country. I thought of going with John Calipari, who won his first National Championship with the Kentucky Wildcats, or maybe someone like Rick Majerus of Saint Louis University, who brought the Billikens to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 12 years. For me, it came down to Steve Prohm of Murray State, and Frank Haith of Missouri, and I had to go with Haith. In his first year as a coach in the Big 12, he brought the Missouri Tigers to a Top 10 ranking, and a number 2 seed in the tournament. He finished 30-5 (14-4 in the Big 12), including winning the Big 12 Tournament at the end of the season. Though Missouri lost a heart-breaker in the first round to 15 seed Norfolk State (who played the perfect game to pull off an upset like that), I believe that Frank Haith wins the Coach of the Year Award.
The Best Atmosphere in College Basketball Award:
One of the things that I love about college hoops is the student sections and gyms across the nation. The sheer noise of the fans can bring an intimidation factor to your opponent, making it so hard to go and win big games on the road. Places like Duke's Cameron Indoor, and Michigan State's Breslin Center carry an atmosphere with them that makes opponents nervous just thinking out playing there. But the school who had the best student section of this past season (and many previous) is San Diego State. Loud, annoying, obnoxious, and sometimes offensive, their student section makes their area a place to be feared throughout college basketball. Their student section, called "The Show", was the first one to use the giant cutouts of peoples faces, waving them in the air when someone is shooting. Playing in this crazy atmosphere not only hinders visiting teams, but helps the Aztecs carry one of the best home records in college basketball over the last few seasons.
The Best Mascot:
A banana slug, a tin keg, and a red blob. Just some of the unique mascots that make their home in college gyms throughout the country. But nothing matches Syracuse University's Orangeman. This goofy orange creature has been a part of Syracuse basketball culture for many years, adding just one for facet to their successful and entertaining basketball fans for years to come.
That is it. The 2011-12 college basketball season is finished, and we look forwards to next year. I know its WAY to early to be thinking about this, but look for Indiana and Michigan to emerge out of the Big Ten, becoming two of the top teams next season. It saddening for this season to end, and for us to lose great seniors throughout the country. But that's past us, because it's time for baseball now! 'Til next time.
F- Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Guards Trey Burke (Michigan) and Bradley Beal (Florida), and Indiana forward Cody Zeller were right behind Davis, who not only was the best freshman, but the best player in the country. It was a tough year to be a freshman.
Coach of the Year Award:
This was a very tough one for me, with so many great coaches this year. You had great coaches like Tom Izzo and Roy Williams have good years like usual, and so many great stories across the country. I thought of going with John Calipari, who won his first National Championship with the Kentucky Wildcats, or maybe someone like Rick Majerus of Saint Louis University, who brought the Billikens to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 12 years. For me, it came down to Steve Prohm of Murray State, and Frank Haith of Missouri, and I had to go with Haith. In his first year as a coach in the Big 12, he brought the Missouri Tigers to a Top 10 ranking, and a number 2 seed in the tournament. He finished 30-5 (14-4 in the Big 12), including winning the Big 12 Tournament at the end of the season. Though Missouri lost a heart-breaker in the first round to 15 seed Norfolk State (who played the perfect game to pull off an upset like that), I believe that Frank Haith wins the Coach of the Year Award.
The Best Atmosphere in College Basketball Award:
One of the things that I love about college hoops is the student sections and gyms across the nation. The sheer noise of the fans can bring an intimidation factor to your opponent, making it so hard to go and win big games on the road. Places like Duke's Cameron Indoor, and Michigan State's Breslin Center carry an atmosphere with them that makes opponents nervous just thinking out playing there. But the school who had the best student section of this past season (and many previous) is San Diego State. Loud, annoying, obnoxious, and sometimes offensive, their student section makes their area a place to be feared throughout college basketball. Their student section, called "The Show", was the first one to use the giant cutouts of peoples faces, waving them in the air when someone is shooting. Playing in this crazy atmosphere not only hinders visiting teams, but helps the Aztecs carry one of the best home records in college basketball over the last few seasons.
The Best Mascot:
A banana slug, a tin keg, and a red blob. Just some of the unique mascots that make their home in college gyms throughout the country. But nothing matches Syracuse University's Orangeman. This goofy orange creature has been a part of Syracuse basketball culture for many years, adding just one for facet to their successful and entertaining basketball fans for years to come.
That is it. The 2011-12 college basketball season is finished, and we look forwards to next year. I know its WAY to early to be thinking about this, but look for Indiana and Michigan to emerge out of the Big Ten, becoming two of the top teams next season. It saddening for this season to end, and for us to lose great seniors throughout the country. But that's past us, because it's time for baseball now! 'Til next time.
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