University of Memphis Athletics
Precious Achiuwa (55) collected Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors Wednesday.
Photo by: Joe Murphy
Achiuwa named AAC Player of Year, Freshman of the Year
Mar 11, 2020 | Men's Basketball
Freshman forward becomes first Tiger to sweep the awards since Keith Lee in 1982
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – University of Memphis 6-foot-9 freshman forward Precious Achiuwa added another double-double to his expanding resume Wednesday. And this one may have been the most impressive of all.
Achiuwa was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in voting conducted by the league's 12 coaches.
He became the first UofM player to earn the award since the Tigers joined the AAC seven years ago and the first Tigers' freshman to be a conference player of the year since Keith Lee in 1982. He is also the first to sweep both awards (POY and FOY) since Lee.
Other individual awards Wednesday went to Tulsa's Frank Haith (Coach of the Year), Cincinnati's Trevon Scott (Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player of the Year, Sportsmanship Award) and Tulsa's Martins Igbanu (Sixth Man of the Year).
Achiuwa won both Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year a day after he was named to a pair of all-conference teams. On Tuesday, Achiuwa was named to the All-AAC First Team and joined teammate Lester Quinones on the league's All-Freshman Team.
As the only freshman in the nation averaging a double-double, Achiuwa has been deserving of the recognition. He averaged 15.8 points and 10.8 rebounds during the regular season and 16.6 points and 11.2 rebounds in 18 conference games.
He also leads all freshman in the nation with 18 double-doubles and ranks seventh on the school's single-season double-doubles chart. At 10.8 rebounds per game, he is the nation's top freshman rebounder.
"He has worked his (tail) off to get to where he is," Tigers coach and former UofM great Penny Hardaway said of Achiuwa. "We're proud of him. To be recognized by our conference is big-time.
"He has exceeded expectations. What he's doing, as many double-doubles as he has had, to lead the nation in double-doubles . . . it's pretty amazing."
On the court, Hardaway said Achiuwa is "relentless, he just does not give in."
Achiuwa is only the third player in Memphis history to win both POY/MVP and FOY/Newcomer of the Year awards in a first season, joining Lee and Hardaway (1991-92). When Hardaway swept the awards in the Great Midwest Conference, the league awarded an MVP and Newcomer of the Year award.
Achiuwa is also only the third player in school history to win both awards and be named to both the all-conference first team and newcomer team (again joining Lee and Hardaway).
And Achiuwa became the first Tiger to be named a conference player of the year since Joe Jackson in 2013 in Conference USA. He is the fourth UofM player to earn Freshman of the Year honors in the AAC, joining Austin Nichols (2014), Dedric Lawson (2016) and K.J. Lawson (2017).
Memphis opens play in the 2020 Air Force Reserve American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship at 9 p.m. Thursday against East Carolina. The Tigers (21-10) are the tournament's No. 6 seed. ECU (11-20, 5-13) is seeded 11th.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Defensive Player of the Year
Trevon Scott, R-Sr., F, Cincinnati
Freshman of the Year
Precious Achiuwa, F, Memphis
Most Improved Award
Trevon Scott, R-Sr., F, Cincinnati
Sportsmanship Award
Trevon Scott, R-Sr., F, Cincinnati
Sixth Man of the Year
Martins Igbanu, Sr., F, Tulsa
Player of the Year
Precious Achiuwa, Fr., F, Memphis
Coach of the Year
Frank Haith, Tulsa
Achiuwa was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in voting conducted by the league's 12 coaches.
He became the first UofM player to earn the award since the Tigers joined the AAC seven years ago and the first Tigers' freshman to be a conference player of the year since Keith Lee in 1982. He is also the first to sweep both awards (POY and FOY) since Lee.
Other individual awards Wednesday went to Tulsa's Frank Haith (Coach of the Year), Cincinnati's Trevon Scott (Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player of the Year, Sportsmanship Award) and Tulsa's Martins Igbanu (Sixth Man of the Year).
Achiuwa won both Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year a day after he was named to a pair of all-conference teams. On Tuesday, Achiuwa was named to the All-AAC First Team and joined teammate Lester Quinones on the league's All-Freshman Team.
As the only freshman in the nation averaging a double-double, Achiuwa has been deserving of the recognition. He averaged 15.8 points and 10.8 rebounds during the regular season and 16.6 points and 11.2 rebounds in 18 conference games.
He also leads all freshman in the nation with 18 double-doubles and ranks seventh on the school's single-season double-doubles chart. At 10.8 rebounds per game, he is the nation's top freshman rebounder.
"He has worked his (tail) off to get to where he is," Tigers coach and former UofM great Penny Hardaway said of Achiuwa. "We're proud of him. To be recognized by our conference is big-time.
"He has exceeded expectations. What he's doing, as many double-doubles as he has had, to lead the nation in double-doubles . . . it's pretty amazing."
On the court, Hardaway said Achiuwa is "relentless, he just does not give in."
Achiuwa is only the third player in Memphis history to win both POY/MVP and FOY/Newcomer of the Year awards in a first season, joining Lee and Hardaway (1991-92). When Hardaway swept the awards in the Great Midwest Conference, the league awarded an MVP and Newcomer of the Year award.
Achiuwa is also only the third player in school history to win both awards and be named to both the all-conference first team and newcomer team (again joining Lee and Hardaway).
And Achiuwa became the first Tiger to be named a conference player of the year since Joe Jackson in 2013 in Conference USA. He is the fourth UofM player to earn Freshman of the Year honors in the AAC, joining Austin Nichols (2014), Dedric Lawson (2016) and K.J. Lawson (2017).
Memphis opens play in the 2020 Air Force Reserve American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship at 9 p.m. Thursday against East Carolina. The Tigers (21-10) are the tournament's No. 6 seed. ECU (11-20, 5-13) is seeded 11th.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Defensive Player of the Year
Trevon Scott, R-Sr., F, Cincinnati
Freshman of the Year
Precious Achiuwa, F, Memphis
Most Improved Award
Trevon Scott, R-Sr., F, Cincinnati
Sportsmanship Award
Trevon Scott, R-Sr., F, Cincinnati
Sixth Man of the Year
Martins Igbanu, Sr., F, Tulsa
Player of the Year
Precious Achiuwa, Fr., F, Memphis
Coach of the Year
Frank Haith, Tulsa
Players Mentioned
F
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