In my final Sam’s Section before Spring Break, I will cover my picks for the national college basketball awards. From Player of the Year to Sixth Man of the Year, here are my picks.
Player, Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year: Cooper Flagg, F, Duke (19.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.3 bpg, 49.4 FG%, 37.7 3P%, 83 FT%)
In a two-man race between Flagg and Auburn’s Johni Broome, I took Flagg in what could be one of the toughest races for National Player of the Year in recent memory. Duke is now the No. 1 team in the country according to Monday’s AP Poll, thanks to Flagg’s incredible freshman season. The projected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, averages 25.1 points per 40 minutes and ranks in the 99th percentile nationally in assists per game at 4.2. He is a lethal defender, with his impact made on the glass and picking opponents’ pockets.
Coach of the Year: Tom Izzo, Michigan State
Michigan State did not make the preseason AP Top 25 and is now in the position to potentially be on the No. 1 seed line for the NCAA Tournament. They were picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten and now are the top seed in the Big Ten Tournament. No one on the Spartans was expected to be an All-Big Ten caliber player. Jaden Akins and Jase Richardson are on the All-Big Ten Third Team. Michigan State has its highest regular season win total since the 2017-18 season with 26 wins going into the Big Ten Tournament. Izzo passed former Indiana legendary head coach Bob Knight as the winningest Big Ten coach of all time on Feb. 15, 2025.
Most Improved Player: John Tonje, G, Wisconsin (18.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.7 apg, 46 FG%, 37.8 3P%, 91.6 FT%)
One season ago, Tonje had only played eight games and averaged 2.6 points at Missouri. Now, he looks like an All-American, potentially helping lead Wisconsin on a deep run in March. That increase in points per game was 16.3. The Big Ten had a new wave of breakout stars, from Tonje to Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn to Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli. Tonje averages 24.5 points per 40 minutes, which ranks in the 99th percentile nationally. His true shooting percentage ranks in the 97th percentile nationally at 64.9%. If Wisconsin goes on a run in the NCAA Tournament, all signs point to Tonje for why they could.
Transfer of the Year: PJ Haggerty, G, Memphis (21.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.8 spg, 49.1 FG%, 41.8 3P%, 79.8 FT%)
Haggerty is at his third school for his third year in college. After starting his college career at TCU, he broke out with a 21.2 scoring average at Tulsa during the 2023-24 season. Haggerty is lethal on the fast break, averaging 4.7 points per game which ranks in the 99th percentile nationally. His 3-point percentage ranks in the 92nd percentile nationally. Leading Memphis to a top 20 finish in the AP Poll to end the regular season, Haggerty has emerged as one of the best guards in the country.
Sixth Man of the Year: Curtis Jones, G, Iowa State (17 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.2 spg, 42.1 FG%, 36.6 3P%, 83.7 FT%)
Iowa State is such a deep team in the backcourt that Jones, a player who would start for nearly every team in the country, comes off the bench. He leads the Cyclones in scoring and averages 22.2 points per 40 minutes. He is an elite defensive rebounder, averaging four per game (93rd percentile nationally). With his impact this season, I still find myself scratching my head at how Jones has only started eight games this season, but it seems to work. Iowa State is at the top 15 in the country.