Now, there’s no doubt that Wisconsin senior forward Frank Kaminsky is the best player in all of college basketball.
With four national Player of the Year awards already won, Kaminsky capped off a remarkable postseason awards list Friday night, winning the Wooden Award – given to the nation’s top player each season – Friday night in Los Angeles.
“This has all become pretty overwhelming, but it’s a tremendous honor and I’m humbled by all of the attention,” Kaminsky said. “Winning the Wooden Award and all of the others is something you dream about, but rarely is a reality.
Kaminsky won the award over Duke’s Jahlil Okafor, Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant, Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein and Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell.
The award marks Kaminsky’s fifth Player of the Year accolade. The 7-footer was already named the Associated Press Player of the Year, the Naismith Player of the Year, the USBWA Oscar Robertson Player of the Year and the National Association of Basketball Coaches Player of the Year.
As a senior, Kaminsky averaged team-highs in points (18.8), rebounds (8.2), assists (2.64), field goal percentage (54.7 percent) and blocks (57) for Wisconsin and was one steal shy of the team lead with 33.
Kaminsky was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and was a unanimous selection for the all-Big Ten first-team. He was also named an AP All-American and a Wooden All-American.
In six NCAA tournament games this season, Kaminsky averaged 22 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while leading the Badgers back to the Final Four for the second-consecutive season and into the national championship game for the first time in 74 years.
The Lisle, Illinois native failed to reach double-figures in scoring only once this season while eclipsing the 20-point mark 17 times. He also had 14 double-doubles this season, including three in six NCAA tournament games and back-to-back double-doubles at the Final Four.
Kaminsky ended his career as a Badger with 1,458 points which is good for 9th on the all-time scoring list at Wisconsin while his 732 points scored this past season were the most in school history. His 153 career blocks are also a program record. He is only the second player in Wisconsin history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks.
Kaminsky still owns the school record for points in a game after he scored 43 against North Dakota on Nov. 19, 2013.
“I’m grateful for everyone who has helped me along the way, my family, teammates, coaches, staff and Badgers fans everywhere. My career at Wisconsin has been more than I could have imagined and I will always take the memories and friendships with me wherever I go.”
Men’s basketball: Dekker to enter NBA draft, forgo senior season at Wisconsin
Along with junior forward Sam Dekker, who announced he is forgoing his senior season to enter the NBA draft Friday, Kaminsky is expected to be a mid-first round draft pick in the NBA draft on June 25th.
