Tag: Awards

MVP award: The biggest gaps between first and last time receiving votes

It was a disappointing season team-wise for Kevin Durant, but a brilliant one individually that earned him a vote for MVP in the NBA ballots. With that vote, there’s now a 14-year gap since he appeared in the MVP rankings for the first time in 2010. …

It was a disappointing season team-wise for Kevin Durant, but a brilliant one individually that earned him a vote for MVP in the NBA ballots. With that vote, there’s now a 14-year gap since he appeared in the MVP rankings for the first time in 2010.

Only five NBA legends have had a wider gap between their first and last MVP vote, which speaks to Durant’s longevity at the highest level.

You can check the full ranking below.

Duke sophomore Aminah Vega named ACC Defensive Player of the Year

Duke sophomore Aminah Vega led the team with 17 doubles, but she was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday for her work at second base.

Duke second baseman Aminah Vega earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors on Wednesday.

Vega, a sophomore, ended the year with a .982 fielding percentage. She turned nine double plays and, across her 170 chances, only put up three errors for the entire season.

She elevated against ACC opponents, too. The conference’s release announcing the awards credited her with a .990 fielding percentage in ACC play.

Vega also put in work in the batter’s box this season. The sophomore batted .405 with 10 home runs and 48 RBIs this season, all the second-best marks on the team. She led the Blue Devils with 17 doubles, and her 60 hits were tied for the most on the roster.

Vega was one of three Duke players honored during the conference awards. Senior Claire Davidson was named the ACC Player of the Year and senior Jala Wright took home the ACC Pitcher of the Year honors, both winning unanimously.

Duke senior Jala Wright named ACC Pitcher of the Year

Duke senior Jala Wright was named the ACC Pitcher of the Year on Wednesday after she finished with a 16-1 record and an ERA of 1.15.

The ACC revealed its awards for the 2024 softball season on Wednesday, and Duke senior Jala Wright earned Pitcher of the Year honors by a unanimous vote.

“What an honor to have this incredible blessing attached to MY NAME!” Wright wrote about the award on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “I can’t thank GOD enough for my journey…here comes the tears.”

Wright finished the year with a 16-1 record in the circle and an ERA of 1.15. She struck out 147 batters in 121.2 innings, and she only allowed 114 combined walks and hits for a WHIP of 0.94.

The Blue Devils senior went the distance for a complete game six different times, and she didn’t earn a run in 14 of her 26 appearances.

For some fun quick math, Wright’s 121.2 innings pitched meant she was in the circle for more than a third of Duke’s season.

Wright and teammate Cassidy Curd (1.38 ERA, 9-3 record) were also both named First Team All-ACC pitchers, the second such nomination for them both.

The Blue Devils, the regular-season conference champions, took home four of the conference’s five major awards on Wednesday. Senior Claire Davidson was named the ACC Player of the Year, sophomore Aminah Vega was named Defensive Player of the Year, and coach Marissa Young earned the Coach of the Year award.

Duke’s Claire Davidson named ACC Softball Player of the Year

Duke senior Claire Davidson batted .423 and became the first Blue Devil to ever bat in 60 runs in a single season, earning her ACC Player of the Year honors.

The ACC unanimously named Duke senior Claire Davidson its Player of the Year on Wednesday.

Davidson helped lead the Blue Devils to a program-record 44 wins during the regular season. She batted .423, the best mark on the team, and she racked up extra-base hits. Davidson finished with 16 doubles, 17 home runs, and a school-record 61 RBIs to end up with a slugging percentage of 0.923. the highest mark in the Power 5.

Davidson hit another gear down the stretch of the regular season. Over an 11-game stretch from March 28 to April 13, she hit eight home runs and batted in 21 runs.

She tallied at least three hits in five different games, she hit two home runs in the same game against North Carolina on April 7, and she recorded multiple RBIs in 17 of Duke’s 50 games.

The Blue Devils, who won the regular-season conference crown, swept the ACC awards. Senior Jala Wright was named Pitcher of the Year, sophomore second baseman Aminah Vega was named Defensive Player of the Year, and coach Marissa Young earned Coach of the Year honors.

 

Players who received MVP votes but were never All-Stars

HoopsHype presents the players who received MVP votes but were never All-Stars.

What do Stephen Jackson, Jalen Rose and Arvydas Sabonis have in common? Well, they are among a short list of NBA players who were never named All-Stars but received MVP votes during their careers in the league – something Kyrie Irving or Pau Gasol, for example, never did.

Here’s the list of other players who accomplished this feat:

All the rookies who received Defensive Player of the Year votes in NBA history

Victor Wembanyama started the week by joining a short list of players to win Rookie of the Year unanimously. In finishing No. 2 in the Defensive Player of the Year vote, he joins another short list of players receiving votes for the prestigious …

Victor Wembanyama started the week by joining a short list of players to win Rookie of the Year unanimously. In finishing No. 2 in the Defensive Player of the Year vote, he joins another short list of players receiving votes for the prestigious award in their first year in the league.

Wemby also became the first player ever to rank Top 4 for both ROY and DPOY in the same season. (Tim Duncan came closest by winning Rookie of the Year and being No. 4 in Defensive Player of the Year back in 1998).

Below, check all the rookies who received DPOY votes in league history.

Florida RHP Luke McNeillie wins SEC Freshman of the Week

Luke McNeillie’s dominant run out of the Florida Gators bullpen has earned him an SEC Freshman of the Week award.

Florida right-hander Luke McNeillie was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday.

McNeillie started the season as a midweek starter, but he’s since been moved to a full-time role in the bullpen. The first-year righty from Milton, Georgia, has been dominant since that change, hurling 10 scoreless innings over five appearances. McNeillie has struck out 14 batters and walked just four over that stretch.

“It’s grown for sure,” McNeillie said of his confidence over this run on Sunday. “I think the biggest thing is trying to stay myself and trust myself. It’s nice to know the coach that the coaches have trust in me to keep me in during a big moment.”

He pitched in both of Florida’s wins this weekend, holding Mississippi State in check as the Gators mounted comebacks. He went 3 1/3 innings on Sunday after throwing a quiet ninth on Friday.

FLORIDA’S 2024 SEC WEEKLY HONORS

Liam Peterson – Co-Freshman of the Week (Feb. 26)
Jac Caglianone – Co-Pitcher of the Week (March 4)
Brandon Neely – Pitcher of the Week (March 18)
Luke McNeillie – Freshman of the Week (April 1)

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Kyle Filipowski named to All-ACC First Team

Sophomore 7-footer Kyle Filipowski, who averaged 16.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game this season, was named to the All-ACC First Team on Monday.

Duke sophomore Kyle Filipowski was named to the All-ACC First Team on Monday.

The 7-footer averaged 16.7 points and 8.0 rebounds this season, shooting 50.4% from the floor. He also added 2.8 assists per game and shot 35.3% from beyond the 3-point line, making 36 triples over the regular season.

Filipowski finished with the third-highest point total in the conference voting, joining North Carolina’s RJ Davis, Clemson’s PJ Hall, Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis, and Pittsburgh’s Blake Hinson on the top squad.

Filipowski started all 31 of Duke’s games this season. He scored at least 20 points in 11 different games, including 23 in the regular-season finale against the Tar Heels and a season-high 30 points against Georgia Tech in January.

He also finished the season with eight double-doubles, with a season-high 15 rebounds on the road against Louisville.

Filipowski was named to the All-ACC Second Team as a freshman last season.

Jon Scheyer left off Naismith Award Men’s College Coach of the Year watch list

The Naismith Awards revealed its Men’s College Coach of the Year watch list on Friday, and Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer was not among the 15 finalists.

The Naismith Awards released their late-season watch list for Men’s College Coach of the Year on Friday, and Duke head coach Jon Scheyer was not among the 15 finalists listed.

Scheyer’s Blue Devils are tied atop the ACC with a 12-3 conference record, and 16 wins in their last 18 games have them 21-5 on the season as a whole. They’re currently eighth in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency metric.

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis was the only ACC coach who made the cut. Other notable names include Purdue’s Matt Painter, Houston’s Kelvin Sampson, Auburn’s Bruce Pearl, and Connecticut’s Dan Hurley.

The committee also recognized Bryce Drew from Grand Canyon, Anthony Grant from Dayton, and Josh Schertz from Indiana State for their work with smaller programs. All 15 finalists can be seen below.

Of teams within the top 10 of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll as of February 23, five coaches didn’t make the final watch list. Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, Tennessee’s Rick Barnes, Marquette’s Shaka Smart, and Kansas’s Bill Self also failed to make the final cut.

Two Diamond Hogs up for Golden Spikes Award as nation’s best baseball player

Two players up for the Golden Spikes on the Diamond Hogs roster? Man, this team is gonna be good.

Arkansas baseball fans know Hagen Smith quite well. But Wehiwa Aloy? Give it time.

Smith, the Diamond Hogs left-handed ace, and Aloy, Arkansas’ new starting shortstop were each named to the preseason watch list for the Golden Spikes Award on Friday. The Golden Spikes Award is given nationally to the best amateur baseball player in the country.

Smith’s season was good enough in 2023 to result in his being named a Golden Spikes semifinalist. He finished the season with 109 strikeouts in 71 2/3 innings while limiting opponents to a .217 average and carrying a 3.64 earned-run average.

Aloy, who transferred from Sacramento State via the transfer portal in the offseason, was a Freshman All-American after his one season at State. He slashed .376/.427/.662 and had 14 homers and 46 RBI during his Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year season.

Smith and Aloy are among the 55 players who were named to the watch list, which will be trimmed in April, though players can be added to the list early in the season from high performance. The two are also the 14th and 15th players from Arkansas to make the preseason watch list since 2008.

The Diamond Hogs open the season Friday in a four-game set against James Madison.