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ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina's
6-9 junior All-American from Poplar Bluff, Mo., has been chosen
winner of the Oscar Robertson Trophy by the U.S. Basketball
Writers Association as the nation's top college basketball player
for the 2007-08 season.
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| Hansbrough |
Hansbrough received the trophy at the USBWA's annual college
basketball awards breakfast this morning in San Antonio. Drake coach
Keno Davis was presented with the Henry Iba Award as the USBWA's
Coach of the Year and LSU-Shreveport's Josh Porter was presented
with the USBWA's Most Courageous Award at the breakfast as well.
Selected by the USBWA two years ago as its national freshman
of the year, Hansbrough was a dominating force for North Carolina
this season, leading the Tar Heels to the NCAA Final Four in San
Antonio, a No. 1 ranking in the national polls and a school-record
36 wins.
He was the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year and led
the league in scoring and rebounding with averages of 23.1 and 10.5,
respectively.
Hansbrough is the fourth player from North Carolina to receive
the USBWA player of the year award. The others are Phil Ford (1978),
Michael Jordan (1984) and Antawn Jamison (1998).
 This
is the 50th anniversary of the USBWA player of the year award. First
presented in 1959 to Oscar Robertson, it is the nation's oldest
and only one named after a player.
The USBWA named its player of the year award the Oscar Robertson
Trophy in 1998 in honor of "The Big O," named "College Player of
the Century" in 2000 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in
1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers.
Today, with nearly 800 members, it is one of the most influential organizations in college
basketball. For more information on the USBWA and its awards and
programs, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821 or
314-421-0339.
Related links:
• Oscar Robertson Trophy
• Oscar Robertson
official site (www.thebigo.com)
• National Kidney
Foundation
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