After engaging in a cross-country scoring race that captured the attention of college basketball fans nationwide, J.J. Redick and Adam Morrison split the United States Basketball Writers Association player of the year award Thursday.
It was the first time in the 50-year history of the honor that it has been given to two people.
"About once in a generation, we see a situation where there are two extraordinary players who separate themselves from the rest of college basketball and clearly stand together as the best in the game," USBWA President Tony Barnhart said.
It is Redick's third National Player of the Year award this season. He repeated as the Rupp Award winner and Sporting News also gave him the honor.
Redick set the single-season scoring record at Duke after averaging 26.8 points per game. He also broke the NCAA record for three-point shots made and became the school's and the ACC's all-time leading scorers.
Redick is the first Duke player to win the USBWA award since Jason Williams captured it in 2002.
Morrison, a junior at Gonzaga, averaged 28.1 points and 5.5 rebounds while leading the Bulldogs to a WCC championship and a Sweet 16 appearance.
Redick and Morrison are good friends, having met at a summer camp, and play each other regularly in Halo 2 on Xbox.
Both players have been invited to the USA Basketball National Team training camp this summer.
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