CAA Men's Basketball

William & Mary's Nathan Knight Ringing In The Accolades

William & Mary's Nathan Knight Ringing In The Accolades

William & Mary forward Nathan Knight has had a season to remember, and his efforts are being recognized through a number of awards.

Mar 25, 2020 by FloHoops Staff
William & Mary's Nathan Knight Ringing In The Accolades

RICHMOND, Va. (March 25, 2020) – William & Mary senior Nathan Knight was named the Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year by CollegeInsider.com, the organization announced on Wednesday. The honor comes on the heels of Knight being named Mid-Major Player of the Year by Basketball Times on Tuesday.

Both accolades continue a season of awards-gathering for the William & Mary center. 

Knight became just the second player in Colonial Athletic Association history to be named the CAA Player and Defensive Player of the Year. Averaging 20.7 points and 10.5 rebounds in his senior season, Knight is just the fourth player in CAA history to post over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Knight garnered a spot on the All-CAA First Team for the second year in a row and became just the 15th player in league history to be named to the All-Defensive Team on three occasions. Knight led the country in player efficiency rating (34.9), while ranking second in double-doubles (23).

The senior finished his career with 2,141 points and 964 rebounds, ranking 13th in both categories in CAA history. Knight’s 221 blocks also are ninth in the CAA record book.

A finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award for the second straight season, Knight has been honored nationally throughout the season. He was named one of 10 national finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes excellence in community, classroom, character, and competition. Additionally, Knight was named a finalist for the Lute Olson National Player of the Year, also presented by CollegeInsider.com.

Knight was named to both the United States Basketball Writers Association Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Citizen Naismith Trophy Men's Player of the Year presented by the Atlanta Tipoff Club watch lists.

Knight helped lead William & Mary to a 21-11 overall record and 13-5 mark in CAA play. The Tribe’s 21 wins were the program’s most since the 1949-50 season, while its No. 2 seed in the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship was the program’s best since 2015.

The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the nation's top Division I mid-major player, with Players on teams from the America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Great West, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast conferences eligible for the award.

The award honors Henson, the former Illinois and New Mexico State coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons.  Henson is the winningest coach in Illinois basketball history with 423 victories. During his 21 seasons (1975-1996), Henson led the Fighting Illini to 16 postseason appearances, including 12 NCAA tournaments and a Final Four appearance in 1989.

Additionally, Knight was named to the Mid-Atlantic All-District Team in Basketball Times’ Honors List. Players from outside the ACC, American, Atlantic-10, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, Mountain West, SEC, BYU, Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s were considered for Basketball Times mid-major honors.