PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Kenny Manigault is the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, becoming the first player in University of Pikeville history to earn the honor, officials from the national office announced on Tuesday evening.
Manigault is just the second player from the Mid-South Conference to be named the nation’s top player, joining Georgetown’s Vic Moses who took home the honor in 2013. The NAIA has been naming a national player of the year since 1994.
UPIKE advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Championship where it lost to Talladega (Ala.). Manigault keyed the Bears’ postseason run, averaging 18.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 steals through three games in Kansas City, Mo.
For the season, the senior ranked No. 1 in the NAIA in total steals with 83 and 16th nationally in scoring at 19.4 points per contest. Manigault had a career-high scoring night on Feb. 26, pouring in 44 points at Life (Ga.), which was the fifth most points scored by an NAIA player in 2014-15.
Manigault was also named to the 10-member All-NAIA Championship Team and was named the MSC Player of the Year prior to the start of the conference tournament.
After transferring to UPIKE from Wichita State, Manigault appeared in just 23 games as a junior before playing and starting in 33 games this past season. Through his 56-game UPIKE career, Manigault tallied 883 points, 346 rebounds and 119 steals.
Manigault earned MSC Player of the Week honors two times this season, including being named the NAIA National Player of the Week on Feb. 16.
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