April 4, 2024
OAKLAND’S TREY TOWNSEND RECIPIENT OF THE 2024 LOU HENSON AWARD
Presented annually to the top player in mid-major college basketball.
PHOENIX, AZ -- Oakland University’s Trey Townsend is the recipient of the 2024 Lou Henson National Player of the Year award have been announced, which is presented annually to the top player in mid-major college basketball.
Townsend averaged 17.3 PPG and 8.1 RPG for the Golden Grizzlies this season, igniting a magical run to the Horizon League Championship and a shocking upset of Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Townsend had 40 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in Oakland’s Horizon tournament title defeat of Milwaukee and added 30 points and 13 rebounds in its overtime defeat versus N.C. State in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Townsend shot 46 percent on 2-pointers and hit 12 of 32 3-pointers on the season.
"Trey Townsend is a big game performer," said Angela Lento, Vice President of CollegeInsider.com. "A lot of players put up good numbers but aren’t clutch when the game is on the line. When Greg Kampe needed a bucket, Trey Townsend got the ball. In a season that produced a lot of wins for Oakland, Trey Townsend made a lot of winning plays. He is the straw that stirs the drink for the Golden Grizzlies."
The Lou Henson award honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons.
Coach Henson is the winningest coach in Illinois basketball history with 423 victories. During his 21 seasons (1975-1996), Henson led the Fighting Illini to 16 postseason appearances, including 12 NCAA tournaments and a Final Four appearance in 1989.
Henson, who is also the all-time winningest coach in New Mexico State history with 289 victories, is one of only 11 coaches to take two different schools to the NCAA Final Four. His teams have made 19 NCAA appearances and four NIT appearances.
Coach Henson passed away on July 25, 2020.
The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.
THE 2023-24 LOU HENSON ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Achor Achor |
6-9 |
Samford |
Robbie Avila |
6-10 |
Indiana State |
Jalen Blackmon |
6-3 |
Stetson |
Isaiah Cozart |
6-7 |
Eastern Kentucky |
Isaiah Crawford |
6-6 |
Louisiana Tech |
Tucker DeVries |
6-7 |
Drake |
Terrence Edwards, Jr. |
6-6 |
James Madison |
Enrique Freeman |
6-7 |
Akron |
Kezza Giffa |
6-2 |
High Point |
Tyon Grant-Foster |
6-7 |
Grand Canyon |
Donovan Gregory |
6-3 |
Appalachian State |
Xavier Johnson |
6-1 |
Southern Illinois |
Dillon Jones |
6-6 |
Weber State |
Xaivian Lee |
6-3 |
Princeton |
Malik Mack |
6-1 |
Harvard |
Aidan Mahaney |
6-3 |
Saint Mary’s |
Zeke Mayo |
6-4 |
South Dakota State |
Riley Minix |
6-7 |
Morehead State |
Jonathan Mogbo |
6-9 |
San Francisco |
Drew Pember |
6-11 |
UNC Asheville |
Elijah Pepper |
6-4 |
UC Davis |
Caden Pierce |
6-7 |
Princeton |
Bryce Pope |
6-3 |
UC San Diego |
Noah Reynolds |
6-3 |
Green Bay |
Jordan Sears |
5-11 |
UT Martin |
Braeden Smith |
6-0 |
Colgate |
Reyne Smith |
6-2 |
Charleston |
Isaiah Swope |
5-10 |
Indiana State |
Jamarii Thomas |
6-0 |
Norfolk State |
Tyler Thomas |
6-3 |
Hofstra |
TREY TOWNSEND |
6-6 |
OAKLAND |
Shahada Wells |
6-0 |
McNeese |
Danny Wolf |
7-0 |
Yale |
Lamar Wilkerson |
6-4 |
Sam Houston |
Vonterius Woolbright |
6-6 |
Western Carolina |
2023: Jordan Brown, Louisiana
2022: Malachi Smith, Chattanooga
2021: Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
2020: Nathan Knight, William & Mary
2019: Fletcher Magee, Wofford
2018: Clayton Custer, Loyola Chicago
2017; Justin Robinson, Monmouth
2016: Thomas Walkup, Stephen F. Austin
2015: Ty Greene, USC Upstate
2014: Langston Hall, Mercer
2013: Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's
2012: Kyle O'Quinn, Norfolk State
2011: Matt Howard, Butler
2010: Keith Benson, Oakland