April 10, 2011
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Senior B.J. Holmes took home the coveted Acie Law IV Most Valuable Player Award at Texas A&M Basketball's annual end-of-season banquet, held Sunday evening inside The Zone Club at Kyle Field.
Holmes (Houston, Texas) was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection and one of two on the team to start all 33 games. He led the team in six offensive categories, including minutes, 3-point field goals, 3-point percentage, assists, steals and assist-to-turnover ratio. Holmes won the award in a vote by his teammates.
The most emotional moment of the night came when senior Andrew Darko was presented with the inaugural Tobi Oyedeji Most Inspirational Player Award, an honor also bestowed upon him by his teammates. Darko was presented the award by Tobi's parents, Mike and Nikki Oyedeji.
Other honorees were senior Dominique Kirk Defensive Player of the Year; and sophomore Khris Middleton, who claimed the Sonny Parker Most Improved Player Award. Holmes also took home the David Edwards Assist Award.
The senior class of Holmes, Walkup, Darko, Carrell and Derrek Lewis finished their careers as the third winningest class in school history with 97 victories. They became the only class in school history to post three consecutive winning seasons in Big 12 play, just the third to advance to four straight NCAA Tournaments, and only the fourth to record four straight 20-win seasons.
Coach Mark Turgeon's Aggies finished the year 24-9 and finished third in the Big 12 at 10-6. Only three other A&M teams won more games than this year's squad, who recorded the program's sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament this spring. The Aggies are one of just 12 schools nationally that have advanced to the big dance in each of the last six seasons.
2010-11 TEXAS A&M BASKETBALL SEASON AWARDS
David Edwards Assist Award: B.J. Holmes (Sr., Houston, Texas)
Vernon Smith Rebound Award: Nathan Walkup (Sr., Houston, Texas)
Sonny Parker Most Improved Player Award: Khris Middleton (So., North Charleston, S.C.)
Dr. John Thornton Academic Award: Marshall Carrell (Sr., Paris, Texas)
Dominique Kirk Defensive Player of the Year: Dash Harris (Jr., Los Angeles, Calif.)
Shelby Metcalf Coach's Award: David Loubeau (Jr., Miami, Fla.)
Tobi Oyedeji Most Inspirational Player Award*: Andrew Darko (Sr., Conroe, Texas)
Acie Law IV Most Valuable Player Award*: B.J. Holmes (Sr., Houston, Texas)
* award voted on by members of the team