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Virginia basketball guard Malcolm Brogdon has been named the league's player of the year and defensive player of the year for 2015-16 by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.
It's the first time in the 60-plus year history of the ACC that the conference's player of the year has also been named the defensive player of the year.
Brogdon averaged a team-high 18.4 points per game, along with 2.8 assists (second on the team) and 4.2 rebounds (tied for second).
The game between the Cavaliers and North Carolina on Feb. 27 in Charlottesville was generally expected to be the determining factor in whether the award went to Brogdon or UNC's Brice Johnson. Brogdon rose to the occasion, scoring 26 points on 9-16 shooting with three made three-pointers, compared to Johnson's 12 points and 7 rebounds.
Brogdon is Virginia's first player to receive the prestigious player of the year honor since Ralph Sampson did so in 1983. Sampson did so the two prior years as well, and Barry Parkhill also earned the award in 1972. Virginia's Darion Atkins won the ACC Defensive Player of the Year honor last year as well.
Brogdon currently sits at 1,687 career points, good enough for 12th on the all-time career list at UVa, after passing J.R. Reynolds on Saturday. He needs 71 to pass Curtis Staples and enter the top 10.
The award is a fitting culmination to Brogdon's fifth year on Grounds. After choosing UVa over Harvard against his mother's advice, he broke his foot his first year. In response, he entered the University's leadership school and is on track for a Master's degree after getting his Bachelor's last May. He was awarded a spot to live on the Range this year as well, but throughout, he stayed true to his modest roots, earning the moniker "Humble Moses" from teammates - a nod to his middle name. Although the Atlanta native's spot as arguably Virginia's best player since Sampson has been cemented, it wouldn't be a surprise for the next month to hold in store what Brogdon assuredly wants most - one more ACC tournament title and the school's first national championship in the sport.