AAC Awards

[Onegreatracer]

Fever, I just respectfully disagree. I watched them all play this year and IMO Tyson is the best player. If you had Eldridge poll the coaches and asked "Who is the best player this year on WSU?"

I think there would be 9 or more votes for Tyson. Maybe 1 or 2 for Porter.

We must've hired a lot more coaches since last I checked...

Wonder if they all got somewhere around a 37% raise?

[CBB_Fan]

I am one of the people that has been most critical of Tyson this year. I understand why he got 3rd team: someone from our team was going to be on it, and he is the highest profile player. But as I've bemoaned in game threads throughout this year, Tyson's fundamentals and game sense fell off a cliff this season. Here is a game highlight from our season opener last season; he's almost a different player shooting with his feet set and making better passes.

Yes, Tyson put the ball in the bucket more than any of our other players. He often did so while the team seemed incapable of getting a bucket, and his presence is probably why we didn't have a bunch of blowouts where we could barely hit 40 points. But the reason he's a 3rd teamer by name recognition alone and not a repeat PoY is that he went from a solid 3PT shooter (39.2%) to an at best mediocre average 3PT shooter (32.9%) and got worse at every facet of the game (don't look at the numbers, they aren't pretty). Somewhere between Etienne and the coaching staff, the conscious decision was made to accept or even celebrate bad habits, and the result of that is in the stats. Whoever told him it was acceptable to turn every 3 into a rushed turnaround shot committed a crime against basketball.

I still think it was appropriate to put Tyson on that team. It isn't all about the stats; those teams also celebrate intangibles especially when only one player can make it, and Tyson is our team leader. By the stats alone, I think Craig Porter is the person I would put on it. As an offensive player, he is not a superstar, but he is incredibly versatile. He is in the top in the conference in blocks, steals, and assists. By defensive stats alone, he is the best defender in the conference and arguably the most consistent offensive player we had in conference play.

Aside from that, I am very very happy that Dexter Dennis got the recognition he has deserved for seasons now for being an all-star lockdown defender. I wasn't expecting any individual awards this season, but I will take Dennis and Porter's accolades like a thief in a bank vault.