Robinson, Abram Earn All-Big Ten Third Team Honors
3/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team had four players honored with Big Ten Conference awards today (Tuesday, March 9). Senior Bernard Robinson Jr. (Washington, D.C./New Hampton Prep [N.H.]) and sophomore Lester Abram (Pontiac, Mich./Northern HS) were named to the All-Big Ten third team by both the Big Ten coaches and media, while freshmen Courtney Sims (Roslindale, Mass./Noble & Greenough School) and Dion Harris (Detroit, Mich./Redford HS) were selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman team by the Big Ten coaches.
| | Abram | | Robinson |
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Robinson continues to be Michigan's "Mr. Everything" this season as he leads the team in rebounding (5.7), assists (3.63), steals (2.00) and minutes played (32.1) per game. After holding the scoring lead for most of the season, he stands second with 12.2 points a game trailing Abram (13.1). Robinson, a three-time CBS Player of the Game selection, has set a new single-season career best with 54 steals, and with 98 assists he is just two assists away from matching that high as well. For his career, he has 1,423 points (18th in school history), 599 rebounds (24th), 332 assists (10th) and 159 steals (4th). His 81.7 percentage from the free throw line also ranks him fourth all-time.
Abram, who leads the Wolverines with 13.1 points a game, has scored more than 20 points four times this season, including a career-best 27 against Northwestern (Jan. 7). He has hit in double figures in 19 of 27 games. He leads the Wolverines in three-point field goal percentage (.419), free throw percentage (.861 percent) and is second in field goal percentage (.489 percent). He recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 10 boards at Iowa (Feb. 14).
Sims, who is the only Wolverine to play and start all 27 games, is averaging 8.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 57.9 percent from the field. But it has been Sims' presence in the post that has helped him become one of the Big Ten's best post defenders. He led the Big Ten with 55 blocks (2.04 per game), making him the first freshman to lead the league since Penn State's Calvin Booth accomplished the feat in 1996. Sims had 19 multi-block games, including a career-best six blocks against Oakland (Nov. 21) in his first collegiate game. He has collected more blocks than Michigan State (49) and Northwestern (42) have as a team.
Harris, who has played in all 27 games with four starts, is averaging 8.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals in his first season. He has scored in double figures in 13 games, including a career-best 15 at Penn State (Jan. 24), against Indiana (Jan. 11) and in his college debut against Oakland (Nov. 21). He is second on the Wolverines with 42 three-pointers and third with 30 steals.
The Wolverines (17-10, 8-8 Big Ten) have a first-round bye at the Big Ten Conference Tournament, which opens Thursday (March 11) at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. U-M is the No. 5 seed and will play No. 4 Iowa in the quarterfinal round Friday (March 12) at 2:30 p.m.
2003-04 All-Big Ten Men's Basketball Awards
| Coaches Selections FIRST TEAM Paul Davis, Michigan State Devin Harris, Wisconsin* Kris Humphries, Minnesota Deron Williams, Illinois Jitim Young, Northwestern SECOND TEAM Dee Brown, Illinois Chris Hill, Michigan State Kenneth Lowe, Purdue Mike Wilkinson, Wisconsin Bracey Wright, Indiana THIRD TEAM Lester Abram, U-M Bernard Robinson Jr., U-M Jeff Horner, Iowa Pierre Pierce, Iowa Velimir Radinovic, Ohio State HONORABLE MENTION James Augustine, Illinois Jan Jagla, Penn State Roger Powell, Illinois Marshall Strickland, Indiana David Teague, Purdue Kelvin Torbert, Michigan State Vedran Vukusic, Northwestern ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM Dion Harris, U-M Courtney Sims, U-M Shannon Brown, Michigan State Kris Humphries, Minnesota Marlon Smith, Penn State PLAYER OF THE YEAR Devin Harris, Wisconsin FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Kris Humphries, Minnesota DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Kenneth Lowe, Purdue * unanimous selection | | Media Selections FIRST TEAM Paul Davis, Michigan State Devin Harris, Wisconsin* Kris Humphries, Minnesota Deron Williams, Illinois Jitim Young, Northwestern SECOND TEAM Dee Brown, Illinois Chris Hill, Michigan State Kenneth Lowe, Purdue Mike Wilkinson, Wisconsin Bracey Wright, Indiana THIRD TEAM Lester Abram, U-M Bernard Robinson Jr., U-M Jeff Horner, Iowa Pierre Pierce, Iowa Kelvin Torbert, Michigan State HONORABLE MENTION James Augustine, Illinois A.J. Moye, Indiana Roger Powell, Illinois Velimir Radinovic, Ohio State Vedran Vukusic, Northwestern PLAYER OF THE YEAR Devin Harris, Wisconsin FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Kris Humphries, Minnesota COACH OF THE YEAR Bill Carmody, Northwestern |
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
