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B1G sweeps Associated Press National Player, Coach of the Year awards
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The B1G has swept the Associated Press’s awards for the National Player and Coach of the Year. The recipients were named on Thursday.
Iowa’s Luka Garza was named the National Player of the Year by the Associated Press and Michigan’s Juwan Howard was named the National Coach of the Year. It gives the B1G a sweep of the two biggest awards in college basketball.
Garza ended the season averaging 24.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, leading Iowa to a 22-9 record this year. The Hawkeyes finished third in the B1G standings and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
BREAKING: Luka Garza (@LukaG_55) of @IowaHoops is The Associated Press men's college basketball player of the year.
Story, video by @aaronbeardap >> https://t.co/dLeFs3D5JB pic.twitter.com/J5xgxWVcVh
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) April 1, 2021
Garza posted 13 double-doubles for the season and scored 20 points or more in 22 games this season. He hit double digits in all but one game during the Hawkeyes’ 31-game season.
In addition to his impressive accomplishments this season, Garza also became the all-time leading scorer in Iowa men’s basketball history, passing Roy Marble. His No. 55 will be retired at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
BREAKING: @JuwanHoward of @umichbball named The Associated Press men’s college basketball coach of the year.
Story by @jmarshallAP >> https://t.co/YbF8aXWtfM pic.twitter.com/140Et5BDd9
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) April 1, 2021
Howard led Michigan to a B1G regular season title in only his second season with the program. The Wolverines earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and had an impressive run to the Elite Eight without top 3-point shooter and second-leading scorer Isaiah Livers.
Michigan closed out the season with a 23-5 record and a 14-3 mark in B1G play.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB