HOUSTON (AP) _ As the city of Houston gets ready to host the NCAA’s Final Four, The Associated Press has announced its picks as player and coach of the year. According to the AP’s media panel Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine was the top player, edging out Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield by three votes.
Valentine, who received 34 of 65 first place votes, is the first Spartans player to win the award. Hield was the only other player to receive votes.
Valentine, a 6-foot-5 senior, led Michigan State to a second-place finish in the Big Ten regular season and was the conference player of the year. He averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists.
For the second time Bill Self of Kansas has won the AP Coach of the Year Award. He led the Jayhawks to the No. 1 ranking in the final weekly poll and their 12th straight Big 12 title. Self also won the award in 2009. The 33-5 Jayhawks were the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost to Villanova in the regional final.
Chris Mack of Xavier was second with 15 votes, six less than Self.