Men's basketball awards

Following the men's basketball program's first annual town hall meeting yesterday, the following awards were handed out at the team banquet.

Best Defensive Player: Rob Belcore Most Improved: Rob Belcore Top Newcomer: Zach Rosen Most Inspirational: Kevin Egee Most Valuable: Tyler Bernardini

I think Belcore certainly deserved the Best Defensive Player award. In fact, the DP wrote a profile of Belcore and his vaunted defense during the season. He was also a good choice for Most Improved. There was good reason why he saw more playing time as the season went on. Not only was he Penn's top defender, but he became one of its most reliable three-point shooters as well. Rosen was an easy choice for Best Newcomer, and likewise for Egee and Most Inspirational.

However, I think the MVP award can be debated. While Bernardini was the Quakers' best shooter and leading scorer, and he did lead the team in its biggest win of the year, his inability to break out as a first-team All-Ivy player was a big reason why Penn struggled.

Rosen's case for MVP is nearly as strong. He was the on-court leader, and topping the Ivy League in assists is no small feat.