Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Auburn on February 24, 2026 , Win , 91, to, 79
Final
Men's Basketball
91
vs Auburn
79
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Griffin Claims 2009 Naismith Trophy
April 05, 2009 | Men's Basketball
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Led OU to a 30-6 record and a No. 7 final AP rankingDETROIT -- The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Sunday that University of Oklahoma sophomore Blake Griffin has been named the winner of the 2009 Naismith Men's College Player of the Year Award presented by AT&T. He beat out DeJuan Blair (University of Pittsburgh), Tyler Hansbrough (University of North Carolina) and Hasheem Thabeet (University of Connecticut).
Griffin, the Big 12 Player of the Year, accepted the trophy from Barry Goheen, Atlanta Tipoff Club Chairman, David Christopher, AT&T's Chief Marketing Officer, Mobility & Consumer, and Gary Stokan, Atlanta Tipoff Club president, at the AT&T National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Guardians of the Game awards program Sunday evening at the Max M. Fisher Music Center.
Griffin was chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. Fan voting via text message also accounted for 25 percent of the final results. The board based its criteria on player performances this season. The vote was tabulated and certified by the accounting firm of Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP.
"I don't really know what to say," remarked Griffin following the awards program, which will be televised Monday at 6 p.m. CDT by CBS College Sports. "This has been an incredible past four days, and the Naismith Award is the perfect way to cap off the trip. I've been blessed to receive tremendous support and education from my parents, my brother and my coaches, and from many others. I thank each and every one of them, and especially my teammates, for everything they've done for me."
A 6-10 forward, Griffin led the nation in rebounding (14.4 rpg) and double-doubles (30) while ranking second in field goal percentage (.654) and 11th in scoring (22.7 ppg). He also averaged 2.3 assists and led the Sooners with 41 blocked shots. His rebounding, double-double and field goal marks all set Oklahoma and Big 12 Conference single-season records. The Oklahoma City native had 15 games of at least 20 points and 15 rebounds this year, more than doubling the previous league record of seven. He led the Sooners to a 30-6 record and the South Regional final where they lost to North Carolina.
"This is a tremendous honor for Blake, and a deserved one," said Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel. "He was magnificent for us all season and everyone associated with our program is proud of what he's accomplished. Blake has dedicated himself to the game of basketball like no other player I've coached and the results speak for themselves. More impressive than his basketball ability, though, is his life approach and how he carries himself off the court. Blake is a much better person than he is a basketball player."
Also on Sunday evening, Griffin was named the State Farm/NABC National Player of the Year and the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year. The honors concluded a busy Detroit awards tour in which Griffin also claimed the Rupp Trophy (Commonwealth Athletic Club of Kentucky), the Oscar Robertson Trophy (U.S. Basketball Writers Association) and the AP Player of the Year Trophy, and was named the Chevrolet Player of the Year. The John R. Wooden Award winner will be announced Friday, April 10, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
| Blake Griffin Career Statistics | |||||||||
| Year | G-GS |
FG% |
3FG% |
FT% |
RPG |
Ast |
Blk |
Stl |
PPG |
| 2008-09 | 35-35 |
.654 |
.375 |
.590 |
14.4 |
80 |
41 |
39 |
22.7 |
| 2007-08 | 33-28 |
.568 |
.000 |
.589 |
9.1 |
61 |
28 |
33 |
14.7 |
| Totals | 68-63 |
.618 |
.300 |
.589 |
11.8 |
141 |
69 |
72 |
18.8 |
Naismith Trophy History
This season marks the 40th anniversary of the first Naismith Trophy, which was first presented to UCLA's Lew Alcindor, who is known today as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. At the time, the Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 basketball season, was looking to create a national identity for its brand and created the award to honor the best basketball player in the nation. Alcindor, along with UCLA head coach John Wooden, flew to Atlanta in the spring of 1969 to receive the trophy. Today, the Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T is regarded as the most prestigious national basketball award and is given annually to the men's college basketball player of the year.
Other notable men's college player of the year winners include Ralph Sampson (1981-1983), Larry Bird (1979), Patrick Ewing (1985), Christian Laettner (1992) and last year's winner, Tyler Hansbrough. For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
About the Atlanta Tipoff Club
The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 season, has presented the Naismith Trophy every year since UCLA's Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969. Old Dominion's Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women's Naismith Trophy in 1983.
The Naismith Award has become an emblem of excellence for the game, recognizing the Men's and Women's College Basketball Player of the Year, Men's and Women's College Basketball Coach of the Year, as well as awards for outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating, and contribution to the game.
About AT&T, Inc.
AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services, the nation's fastest 3G network and the best wireless coverage worldwide, and the nation's leading high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and yellowpages.com organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of their three-screen integration strategy, AT&T operating companies are expanding their TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 in the telecommunications industry on Fortune magazine's lists of the World's Most Admired Companies and America's Most Admired Companies. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.
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