The post-season accolades continue to pour in for Wisconsin men basketball's star Alando Tucker, as he was named a finalist for the Naismith award this weekend.
The Big Ten Player of the Year joins fellow senior guard Acie Law IV of Texas A&M, sophomore forward Tyler Hansbrough from North Carolina and freshman forward Kevin Durant of Texas.
Law IV averaged 18.2 points per game, along with 5.1 assists per game,and has led the Aggies to the Sweet 16 in this year's NCAA Tournament. Tyler Hansbrough has battled through adversity this season, including a broken nose in a late-season matchup against rival Duke. Hansbrough led North Carolina with 18.6 PPG and 7.9 rebounds per game. Kevin Durant has been one of the main stories this season, as he has revitalized Texas from the cellar of the Big 12. Durant averaged a double-double this season, recording 25.8 PPG and 11.1 RPG.
The Naismith award is considered one of, if not the, most prestigious awards in all of college basketball.
The finalists are chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors. The board is made up of basketball journalists, along with coaches and administrators from around the country. These selectors base their criteria on player performance throughout the season, and dwindled down a list of 30 players for this year's final four.
However, Tucker is not the only one who could possibly walk home with a postseason award, as head coach Bo Ryan is nominated for the Coach of the Year Award.
A second round loss to UNLV couldn't have helped either Tucker or Ryan, but with Durant's Texas also bowing out, the door may still be open for both Badgers.
