Junior J.J. Redick was awarded the 2005 Adolph F. Rupp Trophy, which recognizes the nation’s top men’s basketball player, after leading the Blue Devils to a 27-6 record and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“J.J. had an outstanding year for us, both as a player and as a leader,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement. “His hard work and dedication to the program throughout the year put him in position to claim a prestigious individual award like the Rupp Trophy. It is a great honor for him and one that he is certainly deserving of after the year he had.”
Redick beat out nine other finalists, including fellow ACC players Sean May, Rashad McCants and Chris Paul, as well as Utah’s Andrew Bogut, who many have expected to collect numerous postseason honors.
This past summer Redick improved his conditioning and added facets to his game to complement his shooting ability. The work resulted in his best season as a collegiate athlete.
He led the ACC in scoring (21.8 points per game), free throw percentage (.938) and three-point field goals (121). The consensus All-American has already collected ACC Player of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP honors this season.
“I am honored to win the Rupp Trophy,” Redick said in a statement. “This season has been a terrific display of college basketball with several outstanding teams and players. I am thrilled to receive this prestigious honor as it is a great reward for all the hard work put forth by my teammates, coaches and myself throughout the year.”
Redick is the fifth Blue Devil to receive the Rupp Trophy and first since Jason Williams won the award as a junior in 2002.
The Roanoke, Va., native, is also a finalist for the Naismith and Wooden Awards, which will be presented April 8 and April 9, respectively.
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