BIAH Season Update: Postseason Awards Pt. I

Believe it or not, we are now about a quarter of the way through the regular season. With the pre-season tournaments in the past and conference season on the horizon, things are starting to slow down a bit as most schools are getting bogged down with finals. We at BIAH have had a chance to see all of the top teams and players in the country take the court, so here are each of our writers early, but educated, opinions on the Final Four, postseason awards, and the top 25.

Ross Weingarten

Player of the Year:
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

Despite not scoring a field goal in their last victory against Utah, Blake Griffin has been absolutely phenomenal for the Sooners so far this season. He is perhaps the most versatile player in the country, able to overpower his opponents down in the paint, but also lead the fast break and step out and make jump shots. He is a double-double machine, and despite coming back for his sophomore season and facing the highest expectations, Griffin has exceeded them. He's averaging 23 points and 15 rebounds a game, and Oklahoma has emerged as a dark-horse Final Four contender. It will be interesting to see how Griffin responds to increased double-teams, particularly in rugged conference play. If Oklahoma plays deep into March, and Griffin continues his astronomical production, this will be the third straight season in which the best player in the country is a forward from the Big 12 (sorry, Tyler Hansbrough, Michael Beasley was the best player in the country last year).

First Team

Stephen Curry, Davidson
Ty Lawson. UNC
James Harden, Arizona St.
Sam Young, Pittburgh
Hasheem Thabeet, UConn

Second Team

AJ Abrams, Texas
Jonny Flynn, Syracuse
Nick Calathes, Florida
Kyle Singler, Duke
Tyler Smith, Tennessee

Third Team
Jeremy Pargo, Gonzaga
Sherron Collins, Kansas
Grevis Vasquez, Maryland
Dante Cunningham, Villanova
Dejuan Blair, Pittsburgh


Coach of the Year:
Sean Miller, Xavier

It's a little early to start predicting coach of the year, as so many teams have sterling records right now. Obviously, names like Roy Williams, Jim Calhoun and Jamie Dixon will be in the mix all year long. But I'm going to go with Miller, who has transformed Xavier into a national power. After taking the Musketeers to the Elite Eight last year, this year's edition might be even better. They have a great win over Memphis, and if they can beat Duke next week, have to be considered a serious Final Four contender. Keep in mind that Miller has done this without any major national recruits, and playing in a town that is still dominated by Cincinatti (even if the Bearcats haven't been relevant on a national level for a few years). Sean Miller is one of the best coaches in America, and should be the favorite for Coach of the Year is the Musketeers keep winning.


Freshman of the Year:
Greg Monroe, Georgetown

Some people might be surprised by this pick, as Monroe's stock dropped a bit at the end of his high school career and he hasn't gotten much national publicity so far this season. After arriving at Georgetown as a heralded recruit, Monroe has flown under the radar, but he is playing terrific basketball. While his statistics are solid (13 ppg, 6 rpg), it's the way that he changes Georgetown's team that makes him so valuable. Last year, with the plodding Roy Hibbert in the middle, the Hoyas had no choice but to play slow. While their style was effective, it was also predictable, and they had a relatively disappointing year after their Final Four run in '06. Now that Hibbert is gone and Monroe mans the middle, Georgetown is a much more versatile team, able to grind out wins like they used to, but also able to push the ball and play fast. Monroe is a terrific rebounder, but he's best when he has the ball, as he can score in a lot of different ways and is very good and finding the open man. Samardo Samuels of Louisville is scoring more points and getting more publicity, but the Cardinals don't yet have a signature win. Georgetown's victory over a very athletic Memphis team proves that the Hoyas are for real. Monroe is the biggest reason why.