April 22, 2005
(SAN DIEGO, CA) - At last evening's end-of-the-season USD men's basketball awards banquet, seniors Brandon Gay (Missouri City, TX) and Brice Vounang (Dschang, Cameroon) were selected co-Most Valuable Players. Both players turned in outstanding seasons that saw each of them named to the NABC District 15 Second Team. Gay led the Toreros in scoring at 17.4 points per game, and also tied for the WCC scoring title with USF's John Cox at 19.9 ppg. Vounang led the Toreros in rebounding (7.5 rpg); was second in scoring at 15.1 ppg; and was among the WCC leaders in rebounding and field goal percentage.
Additional team awards went to sophomore guard
Ross DeRogatis (Mansfield, TX) who was named the Miller Lite Student Athlete. DeRogatis carries a 3.04 grade-point average as a Business major and was also named to the WCC All-Academic Team.
Junior forward Nick Lewis (Paradise Valley, AZ) was selected the Bully's East Most Improved Player. Presented to the player who demonstrates the most progress from one season to the next, Lewis played a key role for the Toreros at both ends of the floor. He averaged 12.6 points per game and 5.2 rebounds while converting 49.8 percent of his shots from the floor and 77.2 percent of his free throws.
Junior guard Corey Belser (Spanaway, WA) was recognized with the Best Defensive Player Award and the Recruiting Award. Belser, who recently was named the Mid-Major Defensive Player of the Year by CollegeInsider.com, earned the award for the second time. Corey averaged 6.4 points per game and 5.0 rebounds while also leading the team in steals with 57.
Additional hardware was taken home by seniors Brandon Gay and Brice Vounang. Gay received the Zable Athletic Excellence Award, presented to the player who by his effort level and commitment in practice and games, sets a standard for excellence. Vounang was the recipient of the Bugelli Leadership Award, presented to the player who best demonstrates those qualities that help make a group of people a team.
With their 16-13 mark and third place finish in the WCC, the Toreros turned in the biggest turnaround for wins in NCAA Division I with an improvement of 12 victories. Stated 11th-year head coach Brad Holland, "This will always be one of my favorite teams to coach. To see our team learn how to win again, they had to overcome a lot of adversity. To win 16 games and finish tied for 3rd in the WCC, the toughest this league has been in my 11 years, I'm just so proud of them."
