Grand Canyon's Junior Diouf led the nation with 18 goals and the Lopes to their first Sweet 16 appearance in men's soccer.
Grand Canyon forward Junior Diouf became the first freshman to be picked as TopDrawerSoccer's National Player of the Year.
He is a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, considered the Heisman of men's college soccer for Division I.
Diouf, 18, who is from Senegal, led the nation with 18 goals, powering the Lopes to the Sweet 16. This was the fourth time since 2018 that GCU men's soccer qualified for the NCAA Tournament and the first since 2021. This was the deepest national tournament run in program history in Division I.
They were 0-3 in NCAA Tournament games before this year.
"We worked so hard for this, and this motivates me to work harder," Diouf told GCU insider Paul Coro. "It's just starting. It's just the beginning."
Diouf's 18 goals came in 21 matches. Most of his goals came on highlight-reel plays. He has scored the most goals by a freshman in Division I since 2010. Seven of his goals were game-winners.
The College Cup is still going on. There's a chance Diouf could be the first freshman to lead the nation in Division I scoring since 1999.
Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don't miss a thing. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: GCU's Junior Diouf named TopDrawerSoccer National POY
Category: General Sports
