Michigan State Spartans Announce Annual Individual Team Awards for Men's Basketball At Their End of the Year Banquet

Green Named Team MVP At Awards Banquet

Green collects five awards during the evening.

Senior Draymond Green was named team MVP by both the media and his teammates at the 2012 Men’s Basketball Awards Banquet on Monday, March 5. This is the second MVP honor of Green’s career, having been voted by the media in 2010. Green led all Spartans with five awards on the evening.

In addition to his MVP accolades, Green was also presented the Jumping Johnny Green Chairman of the Boards Award, presented by Johnny Green himself. Draymond Green and Johnny Green are two of the three players in MSU history with 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Draymond (1,020 career rebounds) trails Johnny (1,036 career rebounds) by just 16 rebounds for second place in MSU history. Draymond joins Paul Davis (2004-06) and Goran Suton (2007-09) as three-time winners of the award.

Green was also voted to receive the Antonio Smith Glue and Guts Award, joining Aloysius Anagonye (2001-2003) and Travis Walton (2007-09) as three time winners. He’ll also share the Stephen G. Scofes Inspirational Player Award with fellow senior Austin Thornton. This is Green’s second straight year winning the award, while it is the first time for Thornton .

Green is the only player to rank in the Top 10 in the Big Ten in scoring (6th), rebounding (1st) and assists (9th). He leads the Spartans in scoring (16.2 ppg), rebounding (10.3 rpg), steals (47), and 3-point field goals (45), while ranking second in assists (3.5 apg) and blocks (28). He’s led MSU in rebounding in 25 of 31 games, including 16 of the 18 Big Ten contests. In five of the final 11 games of the season, Green led the Spartans in scoring, rebounding and assists. Further demonstrating his versatility, Green leads the nation with five games of at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. He paces the conference and ranks among the Top 10 nationally with 17 double-doubles. He’s on track to become the first player from a power six conference to average 15 points, 10 rebounds and three assists since Tim Duncan did it in 1997.

Over the last three years, Green has won a total of 12 awards at the team banquet.

For the second year in a row, sophomore Keith Appling collected the John E. Benington Best Defensive Player Award. He ranks second on the team in steals (38) and is asked to guard the opposition’s top perimeter player.

Junior Derrick Nix won the Most Improved Player Award. After averaging 2.7 points, and 2.0 rebounds as a sophomore, he’s averaging 7.8 points and 3.7 rebounds this season, ranking fifth on the team in scoring and fourth in rebounding. In the first 73 games of his career, Nix scored in double figures just three times, he’s done it 10 times in the last 24 contests. Nix was also a co-recipient of the Unsung Player Award. Senior Anthony Ianni shared the award with Nix. These are the first two team awards of Nix’s career, while Ianni won the Tim Bograkos Walk-On Award last season.

The recipient of this year’s Tim Bograkos Walk-on Award is sophomore Dan Chapman. Chapman has appeared in 13 contests this season and is a valuable part of the scout team. Adreian Payne received the Scholar-Athlete Award.

2012 Michigan State Basketball Banquet Award Winners:

MVP (Team Vote) – Draymond Green

MVP (Media Vote) – Draymond Green

Scholar-Athlete Award -  Adreian Payne

Unsung Player Award – Anthony Ianni/Derrick Nix

Tim Bograkos Walk-On Award – Dan Chapman

Most Improved Player Award ­– Derrick Nix

John E. Benington Best Defensive Player Award ­– Keith Appling

Stephen G. Scofes Inspirational Player Award – Austin Thornton/Draymond Green

Antonio Smith Glue and Guts Award – Draymond Green

Jumping Johnny Green Chairman of the Boards Award – Draymond Green