LAFAYETTE, La. – After a season in which he enrolled in school as the most heralded basketball recruit in the nation, LSU’s Ben Simmons was selected the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) Men’s College Basketball Player of the Year in a vote by a statewide panel of media members.
Simmons, a consensus first-team All-America selection, was also the overwhelming choice as the state’s top freshman player with Dillard’s Demetric Austin tabbed as the LSWA Newcomer of the Year.
Second-year head coach Larry Cordaro of LSU Alexandria was named the state’s Coach of the Year after leading the NAIA Generals to a 27-2 regular-season record, their second consecutive Red River Athletic Conference championship and a berth in the NAIA National Tournament.