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State Farm/NABC Name Smith Player Of The Year

Story by: Winona State Sports Information Office


KANSAS CITY, MO -- For a second straight year Winona State University senior John Smith has received the State Farm Division II Player of the Year award from the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Smith won the award last year and this year's award marks only the second time a player has received the award from the NABC in back to back seasons.

This is the third organization that awarded Smith its Player of the Year award. Previously this season Smith received the Daktronics and the Basketball Times Player of the Year honors.

Smith will receive his State Farm/NABC award at the AT&T/NABC Guardians of the Game awards show on Sunday, April 6, in San Antonio, TX.

This marks the third consecutive season that Smith has led the Warriors to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. Winona State has won 29 straight games and 95 of its last 100 games entering a quarterfinal contest with Grand Valley State University, MI in Springfield, MA.

Smith is WSU’s all-time scoring leader, who this season has averaged a career-high 17.7 points in 36 games and also has a career-best 98 assists with 103 blocked shots. He ranks second in Division II with 420 career blocked shots and ranks eighth in career rebounds with 1,317, a 9.2 average.

Last Modified: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 14:19 by Michael Herzberg