Paul Davis Earns Team MVP Honors At Basketball Bust
3/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 16, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State Men's Basketball Bust was held Monday evening (March 15) at the Holiday Inn South in Lansing, Mich. Sophomore center Paul Davis (Rochester, Mich.) picked up team MVP honors as voted on by both the team and the media. Davis was also the recipient of the Chairman of the Boards Award. Junior guard Kelvin Torbert (Flint, Mich.) earned three awards, including his third straight Best Defensive Player Award.
Davis leads the Spartans in both scoring (15.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg). A First-Team All-Big Ten selection, he ranks sixth in the conference in scoring, ninth in rebounding, fourth in field-goal percentage (.562) and eighth in free-throw percentage (.804). In league games, he ranked fourth in scoring (16.4 ppg), tied for eighth in rebounding (6.1 rpg), third in field-goal percentage (.595) and fourth in free-throw percentage (.848). An NABC All-District honoree, Davis is the only Spartan to start every game this year. He has scored in double figures in 24 of 29 games, scoring 20 or more points eight times, including a career-best 32 points vs. Indiana (1/31). Davis has also recorded three double-doubles this year.
For the third straight season, Torbert took home the Best Defensive Player Award. He also became a repeat winner for the Most Improved Player Award, sharing the honor with sophomore guard Maurice Ager (Detroit, Mich.). A Third-Team All-Big Ten selection by the league's media, Torbert is the only player in the Big Ten to rank in the top 10 of the league's statistics in field-goal percentage (7th, .535), 3-point field-goal percentage (1st, .483) and free-throw percentage (6th, .795). He also accomplished the same feat in league games leading the conference in 3-point field-goal percentage (1st, .588), ranking third in free-throw percentage (.870) and sixth in field-goal percentage (.543). Torbert entered the year as a 42.0 percent shooter, including 31.8 percent from 3-point range.
Ager is averaging 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds this season, after averaging 6.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in an injury-plagued freshman season. In Big Ten games, Ager increased his production, scoring 9.1 points per contest and shooting 45.2 percent from the field, including 40.4 percent from 3-point range.
Junior guard Chris Hill (Indianapolis, Ind.) earned the Scholar-Athlete Award for the second straight season. With a 3.84 grade-point average in finance, Hill became MSU's first First-Team Academic All-American since Greg Kelser in 1979. A two-time Academic All-District honoree and a member of MSU's Honors College, Hill earned Third-Team Academic All-America honors last season. He also excels on the court, earning Second-Team All-Big Ten honors for the second straight season. Hill ranks second on the team in scoring at 14.1 points per game and leads the team with 3.9 assists per contest. He leads the league in 3-point field goals made per game (2.86) and ranks second in 3-point field-goal percentage (.461). In league games, he ranked first in 3-point field goals made (2.88) and fourth in 3-point field-goal percentage. He has made 83 3-pointers this season, which ranks fifth on the MSU single-season chart. He ranks second at MSU in career 3-point field goals made (244) and career 3-point field goals attempted (563).
Senior center Jason Andreas (Sugarcreek, Ohio) was voted to receive the Inspirational Player Award by his teammates. Andreas is the last remaining member of the 2000 NCAA Championship team and he was expected to not only provide leadership, but solid minutes for this year's Spartan squad. After knee surgery in the summer, Andreas missed four-and-a-half months of action, forcing him to miss valuable individual workout time. But as Andreas healed, his play improved, especially with the start of Big Ten play, scoring seven points against Michigan (1/17) and eight against Iowa (2/4). He also provided inspiration to his teammates, bringing in his championship rings to show his teammates.
Junior guard Tim Bograkos (Flint, Mich.) received the Antonio Smith Glue and Guts Award. Bograkos' statistics are not flashy, but if the Big Ten kept stats for floor burns and diving for loose balls, he would rank at the top of the conference. In addition, Bograkos has seen a lot of playing time for defensive purposes in late-game situations.
Those same attributes also earned Bograkos a share of the Unsung Player Award, along with senior guard Rashi Johnson (Chicago, Ill.). Johnson didn't see a lot of playing time, but he was always ready when called upon. In addition, his largest contributions took place on the practice court, using his toughness and quickness to get MSU's guards ready for every opponent. Appropriately, Johnson started his first career game at Michigan State on Senior Night against Wisconsin.
Michigan State's three captains, Alan Anderson (Minneapolis, Minn.), Andreas and Torbert, were each presented with a Captain's Award. Anderson averaged 8.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists while making several sacrifices for the good of the team. A natural wing player, Anderson has played the point guard position on offense, while often being asked to guard the opposition's power forward. In league games, he ranked tied for seventh in assists (3.7 apg).
The winner of this year's Distinguished Alumnus Award is Greg Kelser. One of just three players in Big Ten history to record 2,000 points (2,014) and 1,000 rebounds (1,092) in his career, Kelser was an All-American and an Academic All-American in 1979 as Michigan State won its first NCAA Championship in men's basketball. A three-time All-Big Ten honoree, Kelser is MSU's all-time leader in career rebounds and a 1996 inductee of the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame. A recipient of the 2004 Silver Anniversary Award from the NCAA Honors Committee, Kelser is also very active in service projects in the Detroit area.
2004 Michigan State Basketball Bust AwardsScholar-Athlete Award: Chris HillUnsung Player Award: Rashi Johnson and Tim BograkosMost Improved Player: Kelvin Torbert and Maurice AgerBest Defensive Player Award: Kelvin TorbertInspirational Player Award: Jason AndreasAntonio Smith Glue and Guts Award: Tim BograkosChairman of the Boards Award: Paul DavisMVP (Media): Paul DavisMVP (Team): Paul DavisDistinguished Alumnus Award: Greg Kelser
