Courtesy Amherst Sports Information

AMHERST, Mass. – Amherst College senior Andrew Olson (San Diego, Calif.) has been named the 2008 National Player of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) on Wednesday. The award is perhaps the highest honor for a Division III basketball player, and fills the one void in Olson’s resume after sharing the award last season with Guilford’s Ben Strong.

The NABC Player of the Year distinction is the final feather in Olson’s cap, and closes the door on an amazing career at Amherst College. Olson is the point guard for which all future players at Amherst will be compared to, as he leaves campus this spring with his named etched all over the program’s illustrious record book.

Olson and his classmates tied the mark set last year for the most all-time wins by a graduating class, with an eye-popping four-year record of 111-12. The Class of 2008 went 34-2 in NESCAC play under Olson’s leadership, and had an amazing 65-4 record at home over four seasons.

While Olson had a knack for making the big shot, and scoring in general, he was probably known best for his passing ability. Olson has broken and re-broken nearly every assist record in school history. He leaves with the top three single-game marks (15, 13, and 13), top three single-season marks (243, 223, and 179) in program history, and the all-time career record of 758. His 758 career helpers place him sixth all time in NCAA Division III history as well.