Brunson wins Wooden Player of the Year Award. Bridges & Wright also take home National Awards

Friday Night confirmed what all Villanova fans already knew; Jalen Brunson is the best player in college basketball. Friday night at the ESPN College Basketball awards Brunson won the John R. Wooden Men’s Player of the Year. He swept all major POY awards this season including the Naismith College Player of the Year, Associated Press Player of the Year, Oscar Robertson Trophy and NABC Player of the Year. Brunson is the first Villanova player in history to win the Wooden award and the first player to win the Wooden award and win the National Championship in the same season since Anthony Davis.

Brunson was not the only Wildcat to win an award, as Mikal Bridges won the Julius Erving Award for the best small-forward in college basketball. Bridges averaged 17.7 PPG this season while shooting an impressive 43% from behind the arc. His effort both sides of the ball continually impressed fans and scouts alike this season, one of the reasons why he is a projected top 10 pick if he declares for the draft.

A bit later in the night formed Villanova star Randy Foye came out and gave a heartfelt speech presenting Coach Jay Wright with the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award. Coach Wright became the all-time winningest coach in Villanova history with a win against Marquette on March 8th.

Jalen Brunson also won the Bob Cousy Award given to the nation’s best point guard in college basketball, beating out Trae Young, DeVonte’ Graham, Joel Berry II, and Jevon Carter.

For the final award of the night, Jalen Brunson was announced as the best player in men’s college basketball. Brunson beat out other favorites Arizona’s Deandre Ayton, Duke’s Marvin Bagley III, Kansas’ Devonte’ Graham, and Oklahoma’s Trae Young to win the most prestigious award in college basketball.