KU’s Azubuike ‘speechless, emotional’ after learning he won Big 12 player of year
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self cell-phoned senior Udoka Azubuike just after 4 p.m. Sunday to deliver some good news to the 7-foot center.
“He said, ‘Do you know you just won Big 12 player of the year?’ I didn’t know what to say. I was speechless for a minute,” Azubuike said Monday, a day after the Big 12 coaches deemed the Delta, Nigeria native the league’s top player.
“It was exciting. I was kind of emotional because of all I’ve been through here throughout my career. It’s a big honor to be named Big 12 player of the year.”
Azubuike, the only player in the league averaging a double-double (13.7 points, 10.5 rebounds) per game, on Sunday fulfilled expectations of the league coaches who also honored him during the 2019-20 preseason.
“Even when I was named preseason player of the year, I was still skeptical. I didn’t know if I would live up to expectations,” said Azubuike, who leads the NCAA in field goal percentage at 74.8%. “It would come down to my teammates and coaches. They did an unbelievable job. Me winning … It was not about me. It was about them too.”
Self said it was gratifying to inform Azubuike of the top player honor on Sunday.
“I know it meant an awful lot to him considering all the heartache he’s had since he’s been here,” Self said of Azubuike, who missed the majority of two seasons because of injuries.
“To think that staying here four years was definitely worth it. ... that’s a great lesson to a lot of folks. If you persevere, hang around, hang around and give yourself the best chance, great things can happen. Certainly that happened for him.”
Self said first-team all-league pick Devon Dotson was “equally deserving of the (player of year) award. ‘Dot’ to me deserved it. I wished there had been a ‘co’ (player of year) because I thought they both kind of separated themselves at the end.”
It’s the first time in Self’s 17 seasons that two Jayhawks were in contention for player of the year honors.
“From a postseason awards standpoint I don’t think we’ve had anything like this before,” Self said. “It was Frank (Mason). It was Devonté (Graham). It was ‘Mook’ (Marcus Morris). It was whoever. We could have had that (two candidates) if Joel (Embiid) had stayed healthy. We would have had Joel and ‘Wiggs’ (Andrew Wiggins). We’ve probably not had anything like this before.”
Dotson, who still conceivably could win Big 12 player of the year by the Associated Press, which releases its awards Tuesday, was thrilled for Azubuike.
“That’s my teammate. If I got it, he got it, we’re all happy for each other. The coaches voted on him. I’m excited he got it. Deservedly so,” said Dotson, the Big 12’s leading scorer.
Self said he was happy for the KU players who were honored and said he thought the all-Big 12 team “was pretty fair to be honest with you,” but also noted, “I thought Marcus (Garrett) deserved better than third team. I’m happy for Marcus (winning defensive player of year). I believe he is what he earned.”
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Sign upThis story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 3:45 PM.
