The Golden Citays are a brand new award, inaugurated June 25, 2017, a date of no particular significance, but formed out of eager anticipation of the coming basketball season. These awards are virtual awards; there is nothing golden about them except their name. There will be no banquet or other food, many players will not even know they've received it, and each award can be revoked at any time during the regular season. In fact many will. That said, here are the "honorees."
Most Valuable Player: Ahmaad Rorie. The Steph Curry of this team. If the newcomer, Lars Espe, can come in an relieve Rorie of some of his playmaking duties, his role as a scorer will only make him more valuable.
Newcomer of the Year: Niko Bevans. This is a tough one for me, because I am most intrigued with Karl Nicholas. After his performance in the post-season all-star game in Dallas, several observers thought Nicholas was an SEC talent. But I'm picking Bevans for two reasons: He arrives as a sophomore, with some collegiate experience under his belt; and he fills a critical need as a three-point shooter. If he's as deadly a shooter as his stats suggest, he should really open up the interior for us.
Most Improved Player: Sayeed Pridgett: I think it took Sayeed a year not only to adjust to the college game, but also to his role on this team. He came in as a "tweener," a great athlete too big to play the point, but perhaps too small to bang with post players. We often see the year of biggest improvement in a player between his freshman and sophomore years, and with a year under his belt to figure out the college game, I predict Sayeed will be that player.
Most Intriguing Player: Donaven Dorsey. He comes to us with credentials such that we never see at Montana--the third highest rated player in the state of Washington as a senior in high school, and the 56th highest rated small forward in the country. His numbers at Washington were not impressive, but neither were Martin Breunig's coming out of the same program, and we know what he accomplished at Montana. Dorsey certainly has the talent to be all-Big Sky right out of the gate, and to deprive Mr. Bevans his cherished Golden Citay.
Freshman of the Year: Tossup between Nicholas and Espe. Both will see the court this year, and it'll be tween Espe's experience playing in a pro league, and the jaw-dropping athletic talent of Nicholas.
Most Valuable Player: Ahmaad Rorie. The Steph Curry of this team. If the newcomer, Lars Espe, can come in an relieve Rorie of some of his playmaking duties, his role as a scorer will only make him more valuable.
Newcomer of the Year: Niko Bevans. This is a tough one for me, because I am most intrigued with Karl Nicholas. After his performance in the post-season all-star game in Dallas, several observers thought Nicholas was an SEC talent. But I'm picking Bevans for two reasons: He arrives as a sophomore, with some collegiate experience under his belt; and he fills a critical need as a three-point shooter. If he's as deadly a shooter as his stats suggest, he should really open up the interior for us.
Most Improved Player: Sayeed Pridgett: I think it took Sayeed a year not only to adjust to the college game, but also to his role on this team. He came in as a "tweener," a great athlete too big to play the point, but perhaps too small to bang with post players. We often see the year of biggest improvement in a player between his freshman and sophomore years, and with a year under his belt to figure out the college game, I predict Sayeed will be that player.
Most Intriguing Player: Donaven Dorsey. He comes to us with credentials such that we never see at Montana--the third highest rated player in the state of Washington as a senior in high school, and the 56th highest rated small forward in the country. His numbers at Washington were not impressive, but neither were Martin Breunig's coming out of the same program, and we know what he accomplished at Montana. Dorsey certainly has the talent to be all-Big Sky right out of the gate, and to deprive Mr. Bevans his cherished Golden Citay.
Freshman of the Year: Tossup between Nicholas and Espe. Both will see the court this year, and it'll be tween Espe's experience playing in a pro league, and the jaw-dropping athletic talent of Nicholas.