MSU senior guard Denzel Valentine has been named the National Player of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Valentine is the third Spartan to win the award. Draymond Green previously won in 2012 and Shawn Respert won in 1995.
It is Valentine's fifth player of the year award he has won for this season, as he was previously recognized by Basketball Times, Sports Illustrated, USA Today Sports and NBC Sports.
Valentine finished this season averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists, the first player to achieve such numbers since the NCAA began keeping track of assists in the 1983-84 season.
Valentine is also a finalist for three more prestigious post season awards — the Naismith Trophy, the Oscar Robertson/USBWA Trophy and the Wooden Award.
In addition to the numerous player of the year honors Valentine has racked up this season, he was also named a 2016 first team All-American by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Oklahoma's Buddy Hield, Kentucky's Tyler Ulis, North Carolina's Brice Johnson and Virginia's Malcolm Brogdon rounded out the first team.
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