Colorado University Athletics
MBB Celebrates Season With 2012-2013 Banquet
BOULDER - The University of Colorado menGÇÖs basketball team
celebrated the 2012-2013 season with their end of the year banquet
Wednesday evening at George Boedecker Jr. Practice
Gym inside the Coors Events Center.
The Buffaloes capped the season with their second NCAA Tournament
appearance in as many years and another 20-win season.
CU finished the campaign 21-12 and a 10-8 Pac-12 Conference record.
The 21 wins in a season is the fifth time a CU team has won that
many games and the fifth place finish is the third straight year
the Buffaloes have recorded a fifth place tally or better in three
consecutive seasons, a school first since the 1968-71
seasons.
Among the awards presented Wednesday night were the Jay Humphries
Assist Award (Spencer Dinwiddie) and the Stephane
Pelle Rebounding Award (Andre Roberson).
Awards voted by the players were the Chauncey Billups MVP Award
(Spencer Dinwiddie); Most Improved (Xavier
Johnson); Best Defensive (Andre
Roberson); and the Most Inspirational (Sabatino
Chen).
In addition to the six player awards, off the court awards were
presented to Sabatino Chen, named Outstanding
Academic Achievement, and Josh Scott, earning the
Shoulder to Shoulder Award. The Shoulder to Shoulder recognizes an
underclassman demonstrating on a consistent basis a strong work
ethic, performance in the classroom and has a positive impact on
the academic culture of the program.
The 2012-2013 season also saw the Buffaloes nationally ranked
for the first time since 2005-06. After winning the Charleston
Classic Championship with three straight victories last November,
CU was ranked No. 23 ranked in the Associated Press Top-25
poll (Nov. 19), then the following week moved up to No. 19 in both
the AP/USA Today CoachesGÇÖ Polls (Nov. 26).
At the Coors Events Center, school records were set with seven home
sellouts; 12 of 15 home games exceeded 10,000 fans; season total
(155,884); season average (10,392); conference total (94,371);
conference average (10,486) were also records.
Head coach Tad Boyle and his coaching staff continued to raise the
bar of success with a school-best .645 winning percentage (minimum
three years); becoming the first team since the 1961-62 and 1962-63
seasons to make back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2011-12
and 2012-13; and the first CU team to reach three consecutive
post-season appearances (2010-11 NIT semifinal; 2011-12 NCAA 3rd
Round; 2012-13 NCAA 2nd Round).
This past season also capped a three-year success of 69 wins, the
best three-year span in school history; the first time the Buffs
have won 20 or more games in three straight years; and a 11-5
postseason record (7-2 conference, 3-1 NIT, 1-2 NCAA), marking the
most wins of any CU head coach. The .688 post-season winning
percentage also ranks number one.
Jay Humphries Assist Award (CUGÇÖs all-time
leader with 562 and played from 1980-1984)
2012-13: Spencer Dinwiddie GÇô led CU in assists with
99.
2011-12: Nate Tomlinson GÇô led CU in assists with
108.
2010-11: Alec Burks GÇô led CU in assists with
112.
Stephane Pelle Rebounding Award (CUGÇÖs all-time leader
w/ 1,054 and played from 1999-03)
2012-13: Andre Roberson GÇô led CU in rebounding for the
third straight season (347). The 347 rebounds are the second most
ever in a single season. Roberson also set the school record for
most rebounds by a junior.
2011-12: Andre Roberson GÇô broke the school-record
for rebounds in a season with 401, in addition to setting the
school mark for defensive rebounds in a single-season with
290.
2010-11: Andre Roberson GÇô set the freshman
rebounding record with 297, and became the first freshman in school
history to lead team in rebounds, steals (51) and blocks
(42).
Chauncey Billups MVP Award (voted by the players)
- (CUGÇÖs 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).
2012-13: Spencer Dinwiddie GÇô Led CU in scoring with 15.3
points per game and a team-best 82.5 percent from the free throw
line. He was also named a Pac-12 Conference first team selection
and his 15.3 average was tied for the eighth in the conference (all
games). Dinwiddie also led the Buffs with eight, 20+ point scoring
games.
2011-12: Carlon Brown GÇô Led the Buffs in scoring
in his only year (12.6 ppg.). Brown earned the Pac-12 Tournament
Most Outstanding Player award helping the Buffs win four games in
four days en route to the conference championship. He averaged 15.8
points, 4.8 rebounds 2.3 steals per game. He 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 GÇô Led CU in scoring with a
20.5 points per game average, the highest scoring average in a
single season over the 20-point plateau in 16 years. Burks also
scored a school record 779 points breaking a 40-year mark. Also
unanimous Big 12 Conference selection who also led the Buffs in
assists with 112.
Most Improved Player (voted by the players)
2012-13: Xavier Johnson GÇô Ranked first on the team in
field goal percentage (51.5) and averaged 8.9 points (fifth on
team) and 4.8 rebounds per game (third on team). 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 GÇô Averaged a season-best
11.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game during his senior year. Also
recorded a season-high in three-pointers (23), assists (33),
defensive rebounds (107), field goals made (151), attempts (311),
and minutes played (975).
2010-11: Levi Knutson GÇô Saved his best season for
last, finishing third in team scoring with an 11.7 points per game
average and making 81 three-pointers, the most by a CU player since
2003-04. He also shot a season best 50.6 percent from the field, in
addition to 47.4 percent of his shots from the three-point arc.
Knutson also grabbed a season-best in rebounds (110), steals (22),
blocks (2), and tied a season-high in assists (31). Knutson was
named co-Big 12 Conference Sixth Man of the Year.
Best Defensive Player (voted by the players)
2012-13: Andre Roberson
2011-12: Nate Tomlinson
2010-11: Cory Higgins
Most Inspirational Player (voted by the players)
2012-13: Sabatino Chen
2011-12: Austin Dufault
2010-11: Levi Knutson
Shoulder to Shoulder Award (recognizes an
underclassman that demonstrates on a consistent basis a strong work
ethic, performance in the classroom and has a positive impact on
the academic culture of the program).
2012-13: Josh Scott
2011-12: Shane Harris-Tunks
2010-11: -
Outstanding Academic Achievement Award
2012-13: Sabatino Chen
2011-12: Trey Eckloff
2010-11: -