Kaminsky, Calipari earn top honors

Frank Kaminsky, the 7-footer who anchored Wisconsin’s run to a second straight Final Four, is the runaway choice as the Associated Press’ player of the year.

Kaminsky averaged 18.7 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 54.9 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from 3-point range as the Badgers ran up a 35-3 record and won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles.

He is the first Wisconsin player to win the award, which started in 1961. He is the third from the Big Ten in the last six seasons, joining Ohio State’s Evan Turner in 2010 and Michigan’s Trey Burke in 2013.

Kaminsky received 58 votes Friday from the 65-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor received five votes and Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein and Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant had one each.

Calipari coach of the year

John Calipari, whose Kentucky team is the first in 24 years to reach the Final Four undefeated, has been selected the Associated Press’ coach of the year.

The Wildcats were the talk of college basketball this season in winning the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament championships. They were ranked No. 1 the entire season and were a unanimous choice for 12 weeks.

Calipari started the season with two five-man units he substituted in groups. It worked well enough that eight players in the rotation are averaging between 5.6 and 11.0 points a game.

Calipari is the third Kentucky coach to win the award, which started in 1967. Eddie Sutton won in 1986 and Tubby Smith in 2003.

Calipari received 40 votes from the 65-member national media panel.

Tony Bennett of Virginia was second with nine votes while Mike Brey of Notre Dame got five. Gonzaga’s Mark Few received one vote.