Abdur-Rahkman, Wagner Share MVP Honors at Awards Celebration

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, John Beilein, Moritz Wagner

From left: Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, head coach John Beilein and Moritz Wagner.

Abdur-Rahkman, Wagner Share MVP Honors at Awards Celebration

4/11/2018 8:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Tom Wywrot

• March Magic: Michigan's 2018 NCAA Tournament Run

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- After an amazing postseason run that saw a second straight Big Ten Tournament title and playing in the national title game, the University of Michigan men's basketball team recognized the efforts and achievements of its players and staff at the 57th annual U-M Basketball Awards Celebration this evening (Wednesday, April 11) at Crisler Center.

The evening belonged to four Wolverines, highlighted by senior Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and junior Moritz Wagner sharing the Bill Buntin Most Valuable Player Award at the end of the night.

Abdur-Rahkman started all 41 games in his final season helping him to play the most career games in U-M history with 144. He averaged a career-best 12.9 points per game and became the 52nd Wolverine to surpass 1,000 career points, doing so in dramatic fashion. Trailing by one with 1.2 seconds remaining against Maryland on Jan. 15, Abdur-Rahkman caught a half-court pass and was fouled while driving to the basket. Sinking both free throws, he recorded his 999th and 1,000th career point and gave U-M a dramatic 68-67 victory.

He closed his career with 1,313 career points (31st all-time). Additionally, he recorded a career-best 132 assists (3.2 per game), 158 rebounds (3.9 per game) and tied a career-best with 35 steals. Abdur-Rahkman also nearly doubled his career output from long range, making 73 three-pointers on the season.

Complementing his MVP honor, the All-Big Ten honorable mention honoree Abdur-Rahkman was given the Iron Man Award as he led the Wolverines with 1,432 minutes played (34.9 per game) while extending his consecutive-game streak to 139 as well as starting 67 straight.

All-Big Ten second teamer Wagner joined Abdur-Rahkman for MVP honors. In a career-best season, Wagner led U-M in scoring (14.6 points per game) and rebounding (7.1 per game) while starting 39 games -- missing two due to an ankle injury midway through the season. He posted 33 double-figure scoring games which included 10 of 20-plus points, while recording a team-best eight double-doubles. He joined the 1,000 point club and closed the year with 1,114 in three seasons.

Wagner put an exclamation point on his season with a 24-point, 15-rebound effort against Loyola-Chicago in the national semifinal -- joining Larry Bird and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players to record 20 points and 15 rebounds in a national semifinal. Named the Big Ten Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Wagner added All-NCAA West Regional and All-Final Four team honors during U-M's run as well as NABC and USBWA All-District honors.

With his team- and career-best 7.1 boards per game, Wagner added the Loy Vaught Rebounding Award and, for his work in the classroom, he was given the Morgan/Bodnar Brothers Award for Academic Acheivement.

After becoming U-M's first Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year honoree, senior Duncan Robinson earned the same honor from U-M for a second straight year. He added honors for the Travis Conlan Sportsmanship Award as well as the Than Garner Leadership Award. Leading U-M with an 89.1 percentage from the free throw line, he was given the Award for Outstanding Free Throw Shooting for a second consecutive year.

In a breakout sophomore season, Zavier Simpson hauled in four honors highlighted with the Rudy Tomjanovich Most Improved Player Award as well as the Wayman Britt Outstanding Defensive Player honor. For a second straight year, he was handed the Steve Grote Hustle Award and, after posting a U-M best 150 assists (3.7 per game), he was given the Gary Grant Award for Most Assists.

U-M closed the 2017-18 campaign with a 33-8 overall record and 13-5 mark in Big Ten play. The 33 wins is a new single-season record, surpassing the 31 set in 1992-93 and 2012-13. The 13 conference wins is the sixth time in the last seven seasons the Maize and Blue has posted double-digit conference victories.

Winning four games in four days for the second straight Big Ten Tournament, the Wolverines repeated as champions. Earning the Big Ten's automatic bid, U-M advanced to its eighth NCAA Tournament under John Beilein and reached its fourth Sweet 16, third Elite Eight and second Final Four over the last six years. After a win over Loyola-Chicago in the national semifinal, the Maize and Blue played for the national title for the second time since 2013.

2018 MICHIGAN BASKETBALL AWARD CELEBRATION HONORS
Bill Buntin Most Valuable Player: Moritz Wagner and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman
Wayman Britt Outstanding Defensive Player: Zavier Simpson
Travis Conlan Sportsmanship Award: Duncan Robinson
Rudy Tomjanovich Most Improved Player: Zavier Simpson
Sixth Man Award: Duncan Robinson
Steve Grote Hustle Award: Zavier Simpson
Thad Garner Leadership Award: Duncan Robinson
Iron Man Award: Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman
Award for Outstanding Free Throw Shooting: Duncan Robinson
Morgan/Bodnar Brothers Award for Academic Achievement: Moritz Wagner
Gary Grant Award for Most Assists: Zavier Simpson
Loy Vaught Rebounding Award: Moritz Wagner