Colorado University Athletics
Men's Basketball Ends 2014-15 Season With Banquet
April 07, 2015 | Men's Basketball
BOULDER - The University of Colorado men's basketball team put the wraps on the 2014-15 season with the end of the season banquet Tuesday evening at George Boedecker Jr. Practice Gym.
The Buffaloes capped the season with a 16-18 record and a quarterfinal appearance at the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). CU also finished with a 7-11 record in the Pac-12 Conference tying for eighth in the standings with three other schools. The Buffaloes defeated NCAA Sweet 16 participant UCLA and the National Invitation Tournament Champion Stanford during the season.
Among the awards presented Tuesday night were the Jay Humphries Assist Award (Askia Booker) and the Stephane Pelle Rebounding Award (Wesley Gordon) for the most assists and rebounds, respectively during the season. It was the second straight year Booker led the team in assists (99) and the first time for Gordon in rebounding (233).
Awards voted by the players were the Chauncey Billups Most Valuable Player Award (Josh Scott); Best Defensive (Wesley Gordon); Most Improved (Tre'Shaun Fletcher); and the Most Inspirational (Kevin Nelson and Cason Turkaly).
It was the second straight season Scott was named the team MVP, likewise for Gordon, as the best defensive player. In the five years of the post-season awards, it was also the first time Scott and Gordon were named repeat recipients.
Fletcher earned his first post-season team award by being voted the Most Improved, and in a tie for Most Inspirational, Nelson and the six-year-old Turkaly were named co-recipients. Nelson completed his sixth year of eligibility and battled injuries throughout his collegiate career.
Turkaly joined the Buffaloes family last February as CU's newest member of the 2015 recruiting class, signing a National Letter of Intent.
All season, Turkaly was associated with the team after drafting him through its partnership with Team IMPACT, a nonprofit that improves the lives of children with life-threatening and chronic illnesses by placing them with teams. Turkaley was diagnosed with Schwachman-Diamond Syndrome (SDS) when he was two years old. SDS is a rare genetic disorder that causes bone marrow deficiencies, digestive issues and immune deficiencies.
Listed below is the five-year history of the award recipients:
Jay Humphries Assist Award
(CU's all-time leader with 562 and played from 1980-1984).
2014-15: Askia Booker - led CU in assists with 99.
2013-14: Askia Booker - led CU in assists with 116.
2012-13: Spencer Dinwiddie - led CU in assists with 99.
2011-12: Nate Tomlinson - led CU in assists with 108.
2010-11: Alec Burks - led CU in assists with 112.
Stephane Pelle Rebounding Award
(CU's all-time leader with 1,054 and played from 1999-2003).
2014-15: Wesley Gordon - led CU in rebounding (233).
2013-14: Josh Scott - led CU in rebounding (295).
2012-13: Andre Roberson - led CU in rebounding three-straight seasons (347) - Second-most rebounds in a single season - School record for most rebounds by a junior.
2011-12: Andre Roberson - broke school-record for rebounds in a season (401) - Set school mark for defensive rebounds in a single-season (290).
2010-11: Andre Roberson - set the freshman rebounding record (297) - First freshman in school history to lead team in rebounds, steals (51) and blocks (42).
Chauncey Billups MVP Award (voted by the players)
CU's last All-American named in 1997, eighth overall in school history. In two years with the Buffaloes, Billups led the Buffs to the NCAA Tournament [second round]; Averaged 18.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists in 55 games played. Also made 120 three-pointers and shot 85.7 percent from the free throw line.
2014-15: Josh Scott - Despite missing eight games due to injury, second in points per game (14.5), rebounds (219), blocked shots (46), and FG% (.544) - 8.4 rpg. average was first - Led team in scoring/rebounding in the same game, nine times.
2013-14: Josh Scott - Led the team in scoring (14.1) and rebounding (8.4), along with a team-best 51.1 FG% - Shot 81 FT% - All-Pac-12 Conference first team - 40 blocks - Led in scoring & rebounding in the same game, 11 times.
2012-13: Spencer Dinwiddie - Led in scoring with 15.3 ppg - Team-best 82.5 FT% - Pac-12 Conference first team - 15.3 ppg tied for eighth in the conference (all games) - Led the Buffs with eight, 20+ point scoring games.
2011-12: Carlon Brown - Led in scoring in his only year (12.6 ppg.) - Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player award helping the Buffs win four games in four days en route to the conference championship - Averaged 15.8 points, 4.8 rebounds 2.3 steals per game in those four games - Shot 50 percent from the field and scored the game-winning basket with an uncontested dunk in the final seconds against Arizona in the conference title game.
2010-11: Alec Burks - Led CU in scoring with a 20.5 ppg, the highest scoring average in a single season over the 20-point plateau in 16 years - Scored a school record 779 points, breaking a 40-year mark - Unanimous Big 12 Conference selection - Led the Buffs in assists (112).
Most Improved Player (voted by the players)
2014-15: Tre'Shaun Fletcher - Recorded personal bests in all statistics from points, rebounds, FG and FT percentage, assists, steals and minutes played.
2013-14: Xavier Talton - Recorded season highs in every category compared to a year ago - Points (170, 4.9 ppg.), rebounds (76), assists (55), steals (20) to 3-pointers made (28) and minutes played (724, 20.7).
2012-13: Xavier Johnson - Ranked first on the team in FG% (51.5) and averaged 8.9 points (fifth on team) and 4.8 rebounds per game (third overall). In 18 starts: 51.4 FG% (1st); 5.9 rpg. (2nd); 71 FGM (2nd); 11.0 ppg. (t-3rd); 19 treys (3rd); 9 blocks (3rd). On the all-time freshman list was No. 8 in rebounding (159); No. 13 in points (295); No. t-13 blocks (15).
2011-12: Austin Dufault - Averaged a season-best 11.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game during his senior year - Recorded a season-high in three-pointers (23), assists (33), defensive rebounds (107), field goals made (151), attempts (311), minutes played (975).
2010-11: Levi Knutson - Saved his best season for last, finishing third in scoring (11.7 ppg) and making 81 three-pointers, the most by a CU player since 2003-04 - Season best 50.6 FG%, in addition to 47.4 percent of his shots from the 3-point arc - Season-best in rebounds (110), steals (22), blocks (2), tied season-high in assists (31) - Co-Big 12 Conference Sixth Man of the Year.
Best Defensive Player (voted by the players)
2014-15: Wesley Gordon
2013-14: Wesley Gordon
2012-13: Andre Roberson
2011-12: Nate Tomlinson
2010-11: Cory Higgins
Most Inspirational Player (voted by the players)
2014-15: Kevin Nelson & Cason Turkaly (tie in the voting)
2013-14: Askia Booker
2012-13: Sabatino Chen
2011-12: Austin Dufault
2010-11: Levi Knutson
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