Oakland’s Kendrick Nunn named Horizon player of year
It was Oakland’s version of a “one-and-done.”
And what a “one” it was.
Kendrick Nunn, in his lone season wearing the Golden Grizzlies uniform, was named Horizon League player of the year, in coaches’ and media voting announced Wednesday.
Nunn joins Kay Felder (2015-16) as Oakland players to win the award.
Nunn, who sat out last year after transferring from Illinois, is second in the nation in scoring, at 26.4 points a game. He trails Oklahoma’s Trae Young (28.0) entering this week’s Horizon League tournament at Little Caesars Arena.
Nobody in the nation has more 30-point games than Nunn’s 11. In his last two games, Nunn has scored 37 and 39 points.
At Illinois, Nunn, 6-foot-3 and 184 pounds and from Chicago, averaged 15.5 points as a junior, 11.1 as a sophomore and 6.2 as a freshman.
Joining him on first-team All-Horizon League was teammate and fellow senior Jalen Hayes, who has averaged 19 points.
Other honorees of note: Detroit Mercy junior Kam Chatman, a Michigan transfer, made second-team, Detroit Mercy’s Jermaine Jackson Jr. made the all-freshman team, and Oakland red-shirt senior Martez Walker made the all-defensive team. Youngstown State senior Cameron Morse, of Flint, also made second-team.
On the women’s side, Oakland junior Taylor Jones was sixth player of the year, while Detroit Mercy’s Lexey Tobel made the all-freshman team.
The Horizon League tournament starts Friday, with the Oakland women playing UIC at noon, the Detroit Mercy women playing Northern Kentucky at 2:30, and the Detroit Mercy men playing Green Bay at 5:30. The Oakland men start Sunday, against IUPUI at 7:30.
HORIZON LEAGUE AWARDS
MEN
FIRST TEAM
Khalil Small, Green Bay
Drew McDonald, Northern Kentucky
Jalen Hayes, Oakland
Kendrick Nunn, Oakland
Grant Benzinger, Wright State
SECOND TEAM
Kameron Chatman, Detroit Mercy
Jeremiah Bell, Milwaukee
Lavone Holland II, Northern Kentucky
Loudon Love, Wright State
Cameron Morse, Youngstown State
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Tyree Appleby, Cleveland State
Jermaine Jackson Jr., Detroit Mercy
Jalen Tate, Northern Kentucky
Loudon Love, Wright State
Naz Bohannon, Youngstown State
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Khalil Small, Green Bay
Jalen Tate, Northern Kentucky
Martez Walker, Oakland
Tai Odiase, UIC
Mark Hughes, Wright State
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kendrick Nunn, Oakland
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Tai Odiase, UIC
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Loudon Love, Wright State
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Godwin Boahen, UIC
COACH OF THE YEAR: Scott Nagy, Wright State
WOMEN
FIRST TEAM
Ashanti Abshaw, Cleveland State
Khayla Livingston, Cleveland State
Jessica Lindstrom, Green Bay
Danielle Lawrence, IUPUI
Chelsea Welch, Wright State
SECOND TEAM
Allie LeClaire, Green Bay
Macee Williams, IUPUI
Steph Kostowicz, Milwaukee
Jenny Lindner, Milwaukee
Indiya Benjamin, Youngstown State
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Lexey Tobel, Detroit Mercy
Karly Murphy, Green Bay
Macee Williams, IUPUI
Kailey Coffey, Northern Kentucky
Chelsea Olson, Youngstown State
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Shadae Bosley, Cleveland State
Jessica Lindstrom, Green Bay
Jen Wellnitz, Green Bay
Jenna Gunn, IUPUI
Emily Vogelpohl, Wright State
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Chelsea Welch, Wright State
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jen Wellnitz, Green Bay
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Macee Williams, IUPUI
SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Taylor Jones, Oakland
COACH OF THE YEAR: Austin Parkinson, IUPUI
tpaul@detroitnews.com
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