Duncan, Haskins Player, Coach Of Year

Sat., March 29, 1997

Associated Press

Tim Duncan won’t deny that he occasionally thought about leaving Wake Forest early to cash in on the NBA dollars that have lured so many other underclassmen away from college basketball.

He just never thought about it for very long.

“At some point, I did,” Duncan said Friday as he accepted The Adolph Rupp Trophy presented by the Commonwealth Athletic Club of Kentucky to The Associated Press Player of the Year. “That’s in the past. I’m a lot stronger and my game has steadily improved.”

Duncan received 72 votes in nationwide balloting. The only other player in double figures was junior Raef LaFrentz of Kansas, who had 11.

Clem Haskins, who led Minnesota to its first Final Four berth ever and first Big Ten title since 1982, received the AP basketball coach of the year award.

Haskins received 37 votes. Eddie Fogler of South Carolina was second with 22 and Roy Williams of Kansas was third with 10.

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Duncan, Haskins Player, Coach Of Year

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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