Denzel Valentine wins AP Player of the Year over Buddy Hield
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Michigan State guard Denzel Valentine was named the Associated Press Player of the Year after edging out Oklahoma's Buddy Hield by just three votes. Valentine finished with 34 of 65 votes from the national media.
Valentine is the first Michigan State player to win the award after averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists this season. Hield and Valentine were the lone unanimous selections to the AP All-America team.
• ROSENBERG: Denzel Valentine’s singular obsession with winning sets him apart
The Spartans lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Middle Tennessee State while Oklahoma remains alive to play the Villanova Wildcats in the Final Four. Voting took place before the NCAA tournament.
Valentine is also up for the Naismith Trophy, the Oscar Robertson/USBWA Trophy and the Wooden Award. He has already won the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Player of the Year award.
