March 8, 2006

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis made it a clean sweep of the Conference USA postseason top honors Wednesday when senior Rodney Carney was named the league's Player of the Year and John Calipari earned the C-USA Coach of the Year honor. The announcement was made at FedExForum prior to the start of the C-USA Championship presented by Aeropostale.

Shawne Williams was named C-USA Freshman of the Year on Tuesday. It is only the second time in conference history that a school swept the Coach, Player and Freshman of the Year awards. Cincinnati did so in 2000 when Bob Huggins (Coach), Kenyon Martin (Player) and DerMarr Johnson (Freshman) took home the awards.

Calipari is the first Memphis head coach to earn the league's top honor, while Carney is the second Tiger player to receive the Player of the Year award. Antonio Burks was the 2004 C-USA Player of the Year.

Calipari earned the C-USA Coach of the Year honor for the first time in his career at Memphis. The Moon, Pa., native is in his sixth year at Memphis and has a 142-58 record at the school. He has a career mark of 335-129, and is ranked among the top 10 for most wins by a head coach in his first 14 years in NCAA history. In his prior collegiate position at UMass, Calipari was named Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year three times.

The 6-foot-7 forward led the Tigers in scoring (17.9 ppg), three-pointers made (88) and three-point field goal percentage (39.8). A 2006 Naismith Award and Robertson Trophy candidate, the 2006 All-Conference USA first team pick moved into the top five on the Memphis career scoring chart and set the school record for three-pointers made this season. Carney also holds the Tiger career mark for three-pointers made.

The Indianapolis, Ind., native was named a USBWA All-America second team pick and earned All-C-USA first team recognition earlier this week.