April 10, 2007

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Wake Forest bid farewell to its only two seniors -- Kyle Visser and Michael Drum -- and distributed team awards for the 2006-07 season Tuesday night at the annual Wake Forest Basketball Banquet at the Old Town Club.

Visser and Drum collected their share of hardware.

Visser was, as expected, named the team's Most Improved Player. He averaged 17.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a senior, more than tripling his scoring output from the previous season. Visser scored more points this season than in his previous three seasons combined. The 6-11 Grand Rapids (Mich.) native also easily claimed the team's Best Rebounder award.

Drum won the Murray Greason Award, which goes annually to the player who has accomplished outstanding athletic achievement and most impacted his teammates through hard work, determination and season-long effort. The Rural Hall (N.C.) native also claimed the Best Free Throw Shooter award after making a team-best 84.4 percent of his free throw attempts last season.

Jane Caldwell, assistant athletic director and academic advisor to the men's basketball team, was named Most Valuable Player for the second time. She also won the award in 2002.

Since head coach Skip Prosser arrived at Wake Forest, all 14 of his senior players has also earned his degree. Since Prosser's arrival, the Most Valuable Player award has gone to someone other than a player. "In my mind, every player is valuable," Prosser said. "And, I think it would be unfair to say that one of our guys is more valuable than the other."

The other two awards went to freshmen. Ishmael Smith, who led the ACC and ranked 10th nationally in assists per game (6.0 apg), was named Team Assists Leader. L.D. Williams, who started all 31 games and is considered one of the most athletic players in the ACC, was named the team's Best Defensive Player.

Smith accepted his award with a cast on his left hand. He had surgery last week to repair ligament damage to his left hand suffered early in the 2006-07 season.

2007 WAKE FOREST TEAM AWARDS
Murray Greason Award - Michael Drum
Most Improved Player - Kyle Visser
Most Valuable Player - Jane Caldwell (Academic Advisor)
Best Free Throw Shooter - Michael Drum
Team Assists Leader - Ishmael Smith
Best Rebounder - Kyle Visser
Best Defensive Player  - L.D. Williams

Most Valuable Player
1957 Jack Murdock
 Jack Williams
 Ernie Wiggins
1958 Dave Budd
1959 Dave Budd
1960 Len Chappell
1961 Len Chappell
1962 Len Chappell
 Dave Wiedeman
1963 Dave Wiedeman
1964 Frank Christie
1965 John Anderson
1966 Bob Leonard
1967 Paul Long
1968 Jerry Montgomery
1969 Jerry Montgomery
1970 Dickie Walker
1971 Charlie Davis
1972 Rich Habegger
1973 Eddie Payne
1974 Tony Byers
1975 Skip Brown
1976 Rod Griffin
1977 Rod Griffin
1978 Rod Griffin
1979 Frank Johnson
1980 Guy Morgan
 Alvis Rogers
1981 Frank Johnson
1982 Guy Morgan
1983 Danny Young
1984 Anthony Teachey
1985 Delaney Rudd
1986 Tyrone Bogues
1987 Tyrone Bogues
1988 Sam Ivy
1989 Cal Boyd
1990 Chris King
1991 Derrick McQueen
1992 Rodney Rogers
1993 Rodney Rogers
1994 Randolph Childress
1995 Randolph Childress
 Tim Duncan
1996 Tim Duncan
1997 Tim Duncan
1998 Robert O'Kelley
1999 Robert O'Kelley
2000 Darius Songaila
2001 Josh Howard
2002 Jane Caldwell (Academic Counselor)
2003 Greg Collins (Trainer)
2004 Matt Jennings (Strength Coach)
2005 Screamin' Demons (WFU Student Section)
2006 Tony Hansen (Team videographer)
2007 Jane Caldwell (Academic Counselor)

Murray Greason Award
1990 Tom Wise
1991 Robert Siler
1992 Derrick McQueen
1993 Randolph Childress
1994 Marc Blucas
 Trelonnie Owens
1995 Travis Banks
1996 Rusty LaRue
1997 Tim Duncan
1998 Tony Rutland
1999 Rafael Vidaurreta
2000 Ervin Murray
2001 Josh Shoemaker
2002 Ervin Murray
2003 Steve Lepore
2004 Taron Downey
2005 Vytas Danelius
2006 John Buck
2007 Michael Drum

Most Improved Player
2002 Craig Dawson
 Antwan Scott
2003 Vytas Danelius
 Jamaal Levy
2004 Justin Gray
2005 Chris Ellis
2006 Chris Ellis
2007 Kyle Visser

Best Defensive Player
2002 Josh Howard
2003 Josh Howard
2004 Jamaal Levy
2005 Jamaal Levy
2006 Trent Strickland
2007 L.D. Williams

Top Rebounder
2002 Darius Songaila
2003 Josh Howard
2004 Jamaal Levy
2005 Eric Williams
2006 Eric Williams
2007  Kyle Visser

Most Assists
2002 Broderick Hicks
2003 Taron Downey
2004 Chris Paul
2005 Chris Paul
2006 Justin Gray
2007 Ishmael Smith

Highest Free Throw Percentage
2002 Darius Songaila
2003 Taron Downey
2004 Chris Paul
2005 Taron Downey
2006 Justin Gray
2007 Michael Drum