Montgomery and Thompkins Headline Atlanta Tipoff Club's Georgia Basketball Award Winners
The Atlanta Tipoff Club today announced that Alex Montgomery (Georgia Tech) and Trey Thompkins (University of Georgia) have been selected as the Georgia Women’s and Men’s College Players of the Year, respectively.
ATLANTA (March 16, 2011) – The Atlanta Tipoff Club today announced that Alex Montgomery (Georgia Tech) and Trey Thompkins (University of Georgia) have been selected as the Georgia Women’s and Men’s College Players of the Year, respectively. Montgomery and Thompkins are joined by Dennis Cox (Clayton State University) and Mark Fox (University of Georgia) as the Georgia Women’s and Men’s College Coaches of the Year, respectively.
Chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Georgia Selection Committee, the four honorees will be recognized at the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Naismith Awards Banquet presented by AT&T on March 21 at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, Ga.
About the winners:
Georgia Women’s College Player of the Year: Alex Montgomery, Georgia Tech – The senior led the Yellow Jackets (23-10) in points and rebounds per game this season, and was named to the ACC All-Defensive team. She was also named to the All-ACC Second Team. Additionally, she was eighth in the conference in steals. She has been a mainstay in the Georgia Tech starting lineup and has been a part of four straight 20-win seasons. The Yellow Jackets have earned a No. 5 seed in the 2011 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, and open Saturday against Bowling Green.
Georgia Men’s College Player of the Year: Trey Thompkins University of Georgia – The Lithonia, Ga., native averaged 15 points and seven rebounds per game in leading the Bulldogs (21-11) to their first NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship appearance in three seasons. Georgia, a No. 10 seed, faces the University of Washington on Friday. Thompkins, a junior, was named First-Team All-SEC by the Coaches, the second consecutive year he has claimed this honor.
Whack Hyder State of Georgia Women’s College Coach of the Year: Dennis Cox, Clayton State University – In seven seasons he has directed Clayton State to seven straight berths in the NCAA Division II National Tournament. This season, the Lakers own a 32-1 record – the most victories in a season by a Peach Belt Conference women’s program. He led Clayton State to its fourth Peach Belt Conference regular season championship and became the second women’s program in Peach Belt history to go undefeated during the regular season. His overall coaching record at the school is 181-45. The top-seeded Lakers face the winner of the Bentley/Pace game in the Elite on Tuesday.
Whack Hyder State of Georgia Men’s College Coach of the Year: Mark Fox, University of Georgia – Fox arrived in Athens two years ago and inherited a sub .500 program. In short order, he led the Bulldogs to a 21-11 record (first 20+ win season in nine years) and a tie-3rd in the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division. Fox also returned the Bulldogs to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship appearance for the first time in nine years as well, where they open on Friday in Charlotte against the PAC 10’s University of Washington.
For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 season, has presented the Naismith Trophy every year since UCLA’s Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969. Old Dominion’s Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women’s Naismith Trophy in 1983.
The Naismith Award has become the most prestigious award in all of college basketball, recognizing the Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year, Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Coach of the Year, as well as awards for outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating, and contribution to the game.
