*Well, as long as you weren’t red-shirted. Travon Woodall and Dwight Miller got jack, since they were glued to the bench this year.
The basketball team had their awards banquet and everyone else got some sort of award.
Ten team awards were announced by Dixon. Fields, Young and Blair became the first trio to earn co-Most Valuable Player honors. Sophomore Brad Wanamaker earned the team’s Most Inspirational Player Award, junior Jermaine Dixon was honored with the Best Defensive Player Award and sophomore Gary McGhee earned the Coaches Award for outstanding attitude. Freshman Nasir Robinson was named the team’s Most Improved Player. Freshman Ashton Gibbs was named the team’s Free Throw Shooting leader after converting 80.0 percent and sophomore DeJuan Blair was the team’s top rebounder (12.3 rpg.). Seniors Tyrell Biggs, Fields and Young all received the Captains Award for outstanding leadership. Biggs won the Jaron Brown Pursuit of Academic Excellence Award and redshirt sophomore Gilbert Brown received the team’s Academic Excellence Award for his success in the classroom.
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TEAM AWARDS
Most Valuable Player: Levance Fields, DeJuan Blair, Sam Young
Most Improved Player: Nasir Robinson
Best Defensive Player: Jermaine Dixon
Captains Award: Tyrell Biggs, Levance Fields, Sam Young
Team Rebounding Leader: DeJuan Blair (12.3)
Free Throw Shooting Leader: Ashton Gibbs (80.0%)
Most Inspirational Player: Brad Wanamaker
Coaches Award: Gary McGhee
Academic Excellence Award: Gilbert Brown
Jaron Brown Pursuit of Academic Excellence Award: Tyrell Biggs
You may remember, Jaron (who remains my alltime favorite Pitt player) had to sit out when he came to Pitt because of is academic deficiencies but worked hard and earned a degree. Thus, this award may not go to the best student, but the one who becomes a much better student than originally perceived (I’m being kind.)
I think that Pitt’s media guide states that Biggs’ major was Economics. If so, God bless him. It’s refreshing to see a major other than Communications and Rhetoric.
BTW, wasn’t Aaron Gray named the Big East outstanding scholar his senior year for having a 2.7 QPA in Communications and Rhetoric?