Illinois State's Baboucarr Bojang was named to the Missouri Valley Conference second team and all-newcomer squad by a vote of the league's coaches and media, Tuesday.
In addition to Bojang, Gregg Alexander was elected to the all-freshman team and Randy Rice was chosen for the all-defensive team. Rice, along with fellow senior Shawn Jeppson, were each named honorable mention all-conference.
Creighton's Kyle Korver, a junior from Pella, Iowa, today was named the Valley Player of the Year. In addition to Valley Player-of-the-Year honors, Korver was tabbed first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference for the first time. Korver becomes only the third Creighton Bluejay to receive league player-of-the-year recognition, joining Bob Harstad (1990) and Chad Gallagher (1991).
Wichita State's Randy Burns, a freshman from Houston, Texas, is The Valley Freshman of the Year. Ranked among the league's top 10 for free throw percentage (.819) and three-point field goal percentage (.422), Burns -- a 5-foot-11, 179-pound guard -- is the first Shocker to earn Freshman-of-the-Year honors since former WSU standout Jason Perez received
the league's top freshman award for 1996-97.
The league's Defensive Player of the Year -- selected by the Conference's head coaches -- is Southern Illinois' Rolan Roberts. A senior from Woodbridge, Va., Roberts -- a 6-foot-6, 240-pound forward -- is the second Saluki taught by head coach Bruce Weber -- Monte Jenkins in 1998-99 is the other -- to win the honor.
A Valley Player-of-the-Week selection on Nov. 26, Roberts is also the Conference's 2002 Newcomer of the Year. The league's top shot blocker with 2.63 deflections per game, Roberts ranks among league leaders for scoring (14.3), rebounding (7.2) and field goal percentage (.607), and is the first
Saluki to earn Newcomer-of-the-Year plaudits since Chris Thunell in 1997-98.
For the fifth-consecutive season, the league's head coaches selected a "Sixth Man Award" recipient, and this season's honor goes to Creighton's Terrell Taylor. The honor is presented to the league's top reserve player.
2001-02 MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE
MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
ALL-CONFERENCE
First Team
Kyle Korver, Creighton
Robbie Sieverding, Northern Iowa
Kent Williams, Southern Illinois
Luke McDonald, Drake
Rolan Roberts, Southern Illinois
Second Team
Mike Wallace, Southwest Missouri State
Scott Brakebill, Southwest Missouri State
Baboucarr Bojang, Illinois State
Brody Deren, Creighton
Terrance McGee, Southwest Missouri State
Phillip Gilbert, Bradley
Honorable Mention
Shawn Jeppson, Illinois State
Jermaine Dearman, Southern Illinois
David Gruber, Northern Iowa
Terrell Taylor, Creighton
Djibril Kante, Indiana State
Dan Lytle, Evansville
Kelyn Block, Indiana State
Randy Burns, Wichita State
Andry Sola, Drake
Randy Rice, Illinois State
Terrell Benton, Wichita State
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kyle Korver, Creighton
ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM
Rolan Roberts, Southern Illinois
Baboucarr Bojang, Illinois State
Terrance McGee, Southwest Missouri State
David Gruber, Northern Iowa
Brody Deren, Creighton
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Rolan Roberts, Southern Illinois
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Randy Burns, Wichita State
Danny Granger, Bradley
Chris Foster, Northern Iowa
Jamar Howard, Wichita State
Gregg Alexander, Illinois State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Randy Burns, Wichita State
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Rolan Roberts, Southern Illinois
ALL-DEFENSE TEAM
Rolan Roberts, Southern Illinois
Randy Rice, Illinois State
James Gillingham, Bradley
Marcus Howard, Indiana State
Jamar Howard, Wichita State
SIXTH-MAN AWARD WINNER
Terrell Taylor, Creighton
