RENO, Nev. - Most Valuable Player Luke Babbitt headlined the team awards Nevada presented at its season-end Starting Five Dinner on Thursday, April 8 at the Silver Legacy in Reno.
The sophomore forward also shared the team's prestigious Rock Award with junior guard Armon Johnson. The Rock Award is annually presented to the player who represents the identity and foundation of the team, as chosen by the coaches and team.
This marks the second consecutive year that Babbitt has been named the team MVP after sharing the honor with Johnson last season. This season, Babbitt led the Wolf Pack and ranked ninth in the nation in scoring with 21.9 points per game and broke the Nevada single-season scoring record with 743 points. He was named the 2010 Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year and earned honorable-mention All-America honors from the Associated Press. Babbitt also earned second-team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America honors to become the first All-American in the history of the Nevada men's basketball program.
Johnson was also honored as the team's Most Inspirational Player, while senior guard Ray Kraemer received Nevada's Sixth Man Award and the Most Improved Player Award. Johnson led the WAC and ranked 22nd in the nation with 5.6 assists per game this season, while Kraemer was the team's top scorer off the bench at 6.1 points per game and tied for fifth in the nation in three-point shooting at 44.8 percent.
For Johnson, who also finished second on the team and eighth in the WAC in scoring with 15.7 ppg, this year marks the second time that he has won both team awards after winning the Most Inspirational tag after his freshman year and the Rock Award last season.
Sophomore forward Dario Hunt earned the team's Best Defender honor this season after earning WAC All-Defensive honors and finishing third in the conference with 1.94 blocked shots per game.
The Starting Five is a financial support group essential to continued growth and success of the University of Nevada men's basketball program. All monies raised through the Starting Five go directly to enhance and support the men's basketball operating budget. For more information or to join the Starting Five, call Rory Hickok at (775) 682-6975.
