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As expected, Karl-Anthony Towns is your 2015-16 NBA Rookie of the Year.
The No. 1 overall pick by way of the Kentucky Wildcats last year, Towns posted one of the best rookie seasons by a big man since the NBA has ever seen. He averaged 18.1 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks and helped the Minnesota Timberwolves win 13 more games than they did the previous season.
Towns played all 82 games and was named Western Conference rookie of the month in all six months the award was handed out. All of this helped lead to Towns being a rare unanimous pick for the award:
T-Wolves @KarlTowns is the unanimous 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year. The following is the voting results: pic.twitter.com/g1YFeSi2p6
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) May 16, 2016
Karl-Anthony Towns is our first-ever NBA Rookie of the Year. Special player. pic.twitter.com/JMpfZvyRwS
— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) May 16, 2016
Towns is the third player coached by Calipari to win ROY, joining former Memphis players Tyreke Evans (2010) and Derrick Rose (2009).
— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) May 16, 2016
KAT put himself in elite company with his amazing season, as he became the first rookie since NBA All-Star guard Damian Lillard to win every Rookie of the Month honor, per Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
The other men to accomplish the feat include All-Star forward Blake Griffin (2010-11), All-Star point guard Chris Paul (2005-06), All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony (2003-04), All-NBA forward LeBron James (2003-04), future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan (1997-98) and Hall of Famer David Robinson (1989-90), per Fox Sports North.