Zion Williamson wins Naismith Trophy as 2019 most outstanding men’s college basketball player

Duke freshman Zion Williamson was announced the winner of the 2019 Naismith Trophy on Sunday by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. The national award is handed out annually to the most outstanding men's college basketball player.

Williamson is the eighth player out of Duke to win the Naismith Trophy. He edged out fellow finalists Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga), Grant Williams (Tennessee) and Ja Morant (Murray State) for the honor.

Another incredible honor for Duke’s Zion Williamson! 🏆

Congrats to @ZionW32 being named the @NaismithTrophy Player of the Year! 👏 pic.twitter.com/xyuLuuO9y1

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) April 7, 2019

Williamson finished with 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in 33 games played. He was a unanimous first-team AP All-American and swept ACC top honors as the conference's Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. The two-way star also earned All-ACC defensive honors.

The 6-7, 285-pound freshman returned from injury to lead the Blue Devils to an ACC tournament title — where he was named tournament Most Outstanding Player with 27 points per game — and the top overall seed in the 2019 NCAA tournament. Duke advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to Michigan State.

In four NCAA tournament games, Williamson averaged 26 points and 8.5 rebounds. He posted 32 points in a narrow victory over UCF in the second round, marking his fifth 30-point performance of the season.

Williamson is the 51st winner of the Naismith Trophy, which has been awarded to representatives from 31 different schools since debuting in 1969. He is the first winner out of Duke since J.J. Redick took home the trophy in 2006.

Below is the complete history of past winners of the men's Naismith Trophy: