Griffin first OU player to win AP award

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DETROIT -- Oklahoma sophomore forward Blake Griffin is the runaway choice as The Associated Press' college basketball player of the year.

The 6-foot-10 Griffin averaged 22.7 points and led the nation with 14.4 rebounds per game while shooting a Big 12 record 65.4 percent from the field. Griffin, the first Oklahoma player to win the award, led the Sooners to a 30-6 record and the regional finals of the NCAA tournament.

Griffin, who had 30 double-doubles this season, was to be honored Friday, four days after he was the only unanimous selection to the AP All-America team.

He received 66 votes from the 71-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25.

Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina, who won the award last year, received two votes as did DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

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