George King won the Stephane Pelle Rebounding Award and was also voted Most Inspirational
Photo by: Joel Broida
Buffaloes Celebrate 2016-17 Season At Senior Banquet
March 05, 2017 | Men's Basketball
BOULDER – The University of Colorado men's basketball team celebrated the 2016-17 season at its annual Awards Banquet Sunday at the George Boedecker, Jr., Practice Gym at the Coors Events Center.
Senior guard Derrick White received the Chauncey Billups Award as the team's Most Valuable Player. The Chauncey Billups MVP Award is one of four voted on by Colorado men's basketball student-athletes. Junior forward Tory Miller won the Most Improved Player Award, senior forward Wesley Gordon was named the team's Best Defender and junior guard George King was voted Most Inspirational.
In addition, two statistical champion awards were handed out. King won the Stephane Pelle Rebounding Award while White earned the Jay Humphries Assist Award.
White leads the Buffaloes at 17.0 points, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. His 528 points rank 19th on CU's single-season list and are the second-most by a transfer in his first season. White is shooting 51 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the free throw line.
White earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors on Dec. 12 averaging 22 points and shooting 55 percent in games against Xavier and BYU. He ranks fourth in scoring, fifth in free throw percentage, sixth in blocks, seventh in assists, 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio, 14th in steals and 15th in 3-point percentage on the overall Pac-12 charts
White won the Jay Humphries Award, named after the Buffaloes' all-time leader in assists (562 from 1980-84). His 132 assists on the season currently rank 14th on CU's single-season list.
King won the Stephane Pelle Rebounding Award, named after Colorado's all-time rebound leader (1,054 from 1999-2003). He has led the Buffaloes this season by averaging 6.9 rebounds per game, surpassing 200 for the season and more than doubling his total from his first two seasons (61 games). King leads the Buffaloes and ranks 10th in the Pac-12 with six double-doubles.
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King was voted as the team's Most Inspirational Player to honor his overall work ethic, growth and improvement.
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Gordon earned the Best Defensive Player award for the fourth straight year. Gordon became the second player in team history to reach 200 career blocks and is the first player since 1977-78 to record 40 or more blocks in four straight seasons. Gordon has ranked among the Top 15 rebounders in the Pac-12 the last two seasons.
Miller was rewarded for his continued improvement. The 6-8 junior is averaging 5.9 points while shooting 55 percent on the season; and 62 percent in Pac-12 games. Miller has six double-figure scoring games this season and his 24 assists has more than doubled his first his first two seasons combined.
Head coach Tad Boyle took time to recognize Colorado's senior class of White, Gordon, Josh Fortune and Xavier Johnson. Â The Buffaloes' four seniors have been part of a program that has won 99 games over the last five seasons, advancing to three NCAA Tournaments during that span.
Colorado, 18-13 overall, now heads to the 2017 Pac-12 Tournament at the T-Mobile Arena, March 8-11 in Las Vegas. The seventh-seeded Buffaloes will face No. 10 seed Washington State in a first round game on Wednesday, March 8, at 7 p.m. MT.
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Senior guard Derrick White received the Chauncey Billups Award as the team's Most Valuable Player. The Chauncey Billups MVP Award is one of four voted on by Colorado men's basketball student-athletes. Junior forward Tory Miller won the Most Improved Player Award, senior forward Wesley Gordon was named the team's Best Defender and junior guard George King was voted Most Inspirational.
In addition, two statistical champion awards were handed out. King won the Stephane Pelle Rebounding Award while White earned the Jay Humphries Assist Award.
White leads the Buffaloes at 17.0 points, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. His 528 points rank 19th on CU's single-season list and are the second-most by a transfer in his first season. White is shooting 51 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the free throw line.
White earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors on Dec. 12 averaging 22 points and shooting 55 percent in games against Xavier and BYU. He ranks fourth in scoring, fifth in free throw percentage, sixth in blocks, seventh in assists, 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio, 14th in steals and 15th in 3-point percentage on the overall Pac-12 charts
White won the Jay Humphries Award, named after the Buffaloes' all-time leader in assists (562 from 1980-84). His 132 assists on the season currently rank 14th on CU's single-season list.
King won the Stephane Pelle Rebounding Award, named after Colorado's all-time rebound leader (1,054 from 1999-2003). He has led the Buffaloes this season by averaging 6.9 rebounds per game, surpassing 200 for the season and more than doubling his total from his first two seasons (61 games). King leads the Buffaloes and ranks 10th in the Pac-12 with six double-doubles.
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King was voted as the team's Most Inspirational Player to honor his overall work ethic, growth and improvement.
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Gordon earned the Best Defensive Player award for the fourth straight year. Gordon became the second player in team history to reach 200 career blocks and is the first player since 1977-78 to record 40 or more blocks in four straight seasons. Gordon has ranked among the Top 15 rebounders in the Pac-12 the last two seasons.
Miller was rewarded for his continued improvement. The 6-8 junior is averaging 5.9 points while shooting 55 percent on the season; and 62 percent in Pac-12 games. Miller has six double-figure scoring games this season and his 24 assists has more than doubled his first his first two seasons combined.
Head coach Tad Boyle took time to recognize Colorado's senior class of White, Gordon, Josh Fortune and Xavier Johnson. Â The Buffaloes' four seniors have been part of a program that has won 99 games over the last five seasons, advancing to three NCAA Tournaments during that span.
Colorado, 18-13 overall, now heads to the 2017 Pac-12 Tournament at the T-Mobile Arena, March 8-11 in Las Vegas. The seventh-seeded Buffaloes will face No. 10 seed Washington State in a first round game on Wednesday, March 8, at 7 p.m. MT.
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