USBWA 2008-09 Season News

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has chosen the recipients of its 2008-09 women's postseason honors. For the third time, Connecticut has swept the association's player and coach the year awards. Sophomore Maya Moore, the 2008 USBWA Freshman of the Year, is the 2009 USBWA National Player of the Year, while coach Geno Auriemma has captured USBWA National Coach of the Year honors for the second straight season and fourth time overall. Eight other times, the player and coach of the year have come from the same school.

Oklahoma sophomore sensation Blake Griffin had been considered the frontrunner for men's basketball national player of the year honors for most of the season and when voting came for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, members of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association left no doubt who their choice was for the best college player in the nation.

Memphis guard Tyreke Evans has been selected Freshman of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for the 2008-09 season.

Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo has been selected to receive the Good Guy Award from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for his work with members of the news media to promote college basketball.

Bill Self, who led the Kansas Jayhawks to a Big 12 regular season title despite not having one starter return from last year’s national championship team, is this year’s recipient of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's Rawlings Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award.

North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough headlines the 2008-09 U.S. Basketball Writers Association's All-America Team. The 6-9 senior from Poplar Bluff, Mo., has earned a spot on the first team for the third straight season. Hansbrough is the first three-time USBWA first-team All-American since 1985 when a trio of players – Patrick Ewing, Keith Lee and Wayman Tisdale – were first-teamers from 1983-85. He is among the five first-team selections.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has released its 2008-09 Men's All-District Teams, based on voting from its national membership. There are nine regions from coast to coast and a player and coach of the year are selected in each. Following is the entire region-by-region listing:

Kelvin Davis, a senior at San Diego Sate University, has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's Most Courageous Award.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has announced finalists for the 2009 Rawlings Henry Iba Award, to be presented to the association's national coach of the year.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has announced finalists for the 2009 Oscar Robertson Trophy, to be presented to the association's national player of the year.