East Lansing — Denzel Valentine was named Michigan State’s George Alderton Male Athlete of the Year on Monday, capping a four-year career that will likely lead to a first-round selection in this month’s NBA Draft.
Named the National Player of the Year by six different groups, including the Associated Press, Valentine was a consensus first-team All-American, the Big Ten Player of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player of the Big Ten Tournament. He became the only player in NCAA history to average 19 points (19.2 ppg), seven rebounds (7.5 rpg) and seven assists (7.8 apg) since the assist became an official statistic in 1983-84.