First, for all of you Arkansas fans out there (like me and I’m a North Carolina fan too), Eric Musselman was hired on April 7,2019 a year ago today. Also, I’m blogging this on April 7 not April 8 so its not a year after exactly but anyway let’s get into the college basketball news.
North Carolina Forward Garrison Brooks announced recently that he was returning for his senior season. Brooks I’m sure is hoping for a better outcome to next season than what happened during 2019-2020 for the Tar Heels. Brooks averaged almost seventeen points and eight and a half rebounds this past season. He adds some nice veteran leadership to what is going to be a talented North Carolina team next season.
Former five-star recruit and Arizona Freshman Guard Nico Mannion announced he is entering the 2020 NBA Draft. Mannion averaged fourteen points per game and five assists per game in his lone season in Tucson.
On SportsCenter on Tuesday, what usually would be the College Basketball Awards in Los Angeles, awards were given out. The Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award was awarded to Oregon’s Payton Pritchard who averaged 20.5 points per game and 5.5 assists. Seton Hall’s Myles Powell won the Jerry West Shooting Guard of Year Award by averaging 21 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game, and 2.9 assists per game. Villanova Small Forward Saddiq Bey won the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year by averaging 16.1 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Dayton’s Obi Toppin received the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year by averaging 20 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game, and 2.2 assists per game. Iowa’s Luka Garza won the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year by averaging 23.9 points per game, 9.8 rebounds per game, and 1.8 blocks per game.
Maryland Sophomore big man Jalen Smith announced he is entering the 2020 NBA Draft. He averaged 15.5 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
Duke Freshman Guard Cassius Stanley is entering the 2020 NBA Draft. He averaged almost thirteen points per game and almost five rebounds per game in his lone season in Durham.
UCLA Junior Forward Chris Smith announced he was entering the 2020 NBA Draft. During his third season in Los Angeles he averaged thirteen points per game and five and a half rebounds per game.
