<
>

Griffin first OU player to win AP award

DETROIT -- Oklahoma sophomore forward Blake Griffin is the runaway choice as The Associated Press' college basketball player of the year.

The 6-foot-10 Griffin averaged 22.7 points and led the nation with 14.4 rebounds per game while shooting a Big 12 record 65.4 percent from the field. Griffin, the first Oklahoma player to win the award, led the Sooners to a 30-6 record and the regional finals of the NCAA tournament.

Griffin, who had 30 double-doubles this season, was to be honored Friday, four days after he was the only unanimous selection to the AP All-America team.

He received 66 votes from the 71-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25.

Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina, who won the award last year, received two votes as did DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh.