Bernard Robinson Jr. has been through a great deal during his four years as
a member of the Michigan Wolverines basketball team. A coaching change, disciplinary
issues, and the death of his father have all presented themselves as possible
roadblocks in his progress. But unlike many that face such obstacles, he was
able to overcome all of that. In his final season wearing the Maize and Blue
he led the Wolverines in rebounding (5.7), assists (3.8), steals (1.8), and
minutes (32.2), while finishing third in scoring with 12.1 points per game.
Those efforts garnered three additional honors, including the WAYMAN BRITT OUTSTANDING
DEFENSIVE PLAYER AWARD, which recognized him as Michigan’s top defender.
This marked the second consectutive year he received that honor.
While this year’s NIT championship was unquestionably a team effort,
there was one selfless gesture that may have propelled the program to its postseason
success. When Lester Abram offered to relinquish his starting position late
in the season to freshman Dion Harris, it lit a spark in the young Detroiter
that really seem to jump start his offense. Furthermore, in Abram’s new
role coming off the bench, he continued to provide the same scoring output that
he did when he was in the starting lineup. After being knocked out of action
in the Big Ten Tournament during the Iowa game with a separated shoulder, he
returned 11 days and 3 games later to pick up right where he left off. He came
off the bench to light the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors up for a team high 17 points
to help send the Wolverines to the Big Apple, where they eventually won the
tournament. On the year Abram led Michigan in scoring (13.1), three-point field
goal percentage (41.2), and free throw percentage (84.3). He too took home four
awards on the night.
Abram’s leadership qualities were definitely noticed by his teammates,
as he was named one of next year’s tri-captains along with Graham Brown
and Sherrod Harrell. Check below for the complete list of award recipients.
To view the entire press release on the banquet, click here.
2004 Michigan Basketball Banquet Award Winners
Bernard Robinson Jr.
Lester Abram
|
Bill Buntin Most Valuable Player Award |
Colin Dill
J.C. Mathis |
Thad Garner Leadership Award |
| Bernard Robinson Jr. |
Wayman Britt Outstanding Defensive Player Award |
Graham Brown
Sherrod Harrell |
Steve Grote Hustle Award |
| Dani Wohl |
Bodnar Award for Academic Achievement |
Brent Petway
Courtney Sims |
Rudy Tomjanovich Most Improved Player Award |
| Bernard Robinson Jr. |
Loy Vaught Rebounding Award |
Lester Abram
Amadou Ba
Graham Brown |
Travis Conlan Sportsmanship Award |
| Lester Abram |
Award for Outstanding Free Throw Shooting |
| Bernard Robinson Jr. |
Gary Grant Award for Most Assists |
| Lester Abram |
Iron Man Award |
| Matt Duprey |
Outstanding Manager Award |