DETROIT, April 6 (UPI) -- Oklahoma sophomore center Blake Griffin was voted the Naismith Trophy men's college player of the year.
Griffin, who led the nation in rebounding and the Big 12 Conference in scoring average, edged Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair; North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, who won the Naismith Trophy last year; and Connecticut's Hasheem Thabeet for the award, which is given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. A club release didn't include vote totals.
"This is a tremendous honor for Blake and a deserved one," said Oklahoma Coach Jeff Capel. "He was magnificent for us all season and everyone associated with our program is proud of what he's accomplished. Blake has dedicated himself to the game of basketball like no other player I've coached and the results speak for themselves."
Blake, who was also voted player of the year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, averaged 14.4 rebounds and 22.7 points a game. He had 30 double-doubles, setting a conference record. Oklahoma was 30-6 this season, losing to Hansbrough and North Carolina in the NCAA tournament regional finals.
The award is determined by a vote of the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which included basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. Fan balloting counted for 25 percent of the final vote, the club said.
