April 4, 2000
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team held its annual banquet on the floor of the Joyce Center arena on Tuesday evening as the Irish formally concluded the first season under head coach Matt Doherty.
The Irish finished the season with an overall record of 22-15 (8-8 in BIG EAST play) and advanced to the championship game of the National Invitation Tournament before losing to Wake Forest. The 22 wins for the Irish marked the most wins by a Notre Dame team since the 1986-87 team had a 24-8 mark.
Notre Dame sophomore forward Troy Murphy (Morristown, N.J.) received the Notre Dame Monogram Club Most Valuable Player Award. Murphy was the first Irish player to receive consensus All-America honors since Adrian Dantley in 1974-75 and 1975-76.
Murphy was named the 1999-2000 BIG EAST Conference player of the year and led the league in both scoring and rebounding for conference and overall games. He led the Irish in scoring at 22.7 points per game and rebounding with 10.3 boards per game.
Notre Dame senior forward Skylard Owens (Shreveport, La.) was the winner of the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Student-Athlete Award. Owens is an accounting major in the College of Business and will graduate this May. Owens earned a 3.4 grade point average in the fall semester of 1999 and served as a team tri-captain this season.
In addition to those two awards, a number of new team awards were introduced this season, named after former Irish greats:
John Shumate Field-Goal Percentage Award
Presented to the player with the best field-goal percentage, based on statistics John Shumate played at Notre Dame from 1972-74 and is the career field-goal percentage leader at 61.0 percent (538 of 882).
2000 Winner: Sophomore forward Harold Swanagan (Hopkinsville, Ky.), who led the Irish with a 54.2 field-goal percentage.
Monty Williams Most Inspirational Player Award
Presented to the player deemed most inspiring by vote of players and coaches Monty Williams was diagnosed with potential heart problem during his Notre Dame career but eventually returned to play a final season for the Irish in 1993 and became first-round NBA draft pick. He is currently a member of the Orlando Magic.
2000 Winner: Murphy
Adrian Dantley Free-Throw Percentage Award
Presented to the player with the best free-throw percentage, based on statistics Adrian Dantley played at Notre Dame from 1973-76 and holds the school career record for free throws made with 615 and attempted with 769.
2000 Winner: Junior guard Martin Ingelsby (Philadelphia, Pa.), who was 92.3 percent (24-of-26) from the line this season.
John Paxson Three-Point Shooting Award
Presented to player with the best three-point shooting percentage, based on statistics. John Paxson was a two-time, first-team All-America guard at Notre Dame from 1979-83.
2000 Winner: Sophomore forward David Graves (Lexington, Ky.), who set a Notre Dame single-season record with 83 three-point field goals on 182 attempts and is currently second on the career list for three-point field goals made with 118.
Tom Hawkins Rebounding Award
Presented to player with the most rebounds, based on statistics Tom Hawkins played at Notre Dame from 1956-59 and is the career leader in rebounds for the Irish with 1,318.
2000 Winner: Murphy, who led the Irish in rebounding at 10.3 per game and whose 380 rebound were 10th in school single-season history.
Austin Carr Outstanding Senior Award
Presented to the top senior player on the team, by a vote of the players Austin Carr, Notre Dame’s all-time leading scorer with 2,560 points from 1968-71, averaged a school-record 37.9 points as a senior in 1971-72.
2000 Winner: Senior guard Jimmy Dillon (Philadelphia, Pa.), who had started just two games entering this season, started all 37 games at point guard this season and set the Notre Dame single-season record for steals (66) and tied the assist mark (214).
Kelly Tripucka Freshman Award
Presented to the freshman player who exemplifies determination, sportsmanship and sacrifice. Kelly Tripucka averaged 11.7 points per game as a freshman starter on the 1977-78 Notre Dame team that advanced to the NCAA Final Four.
2000 Winner: Freshman guard Matt Carroll (Philadelphia, Pa.), who started 30 games at guard and scored in double figures in 18 of them. He averaged 9.8 points per game – 10.0 in BIG EAST play – and connected on 64 three-point field goals, the fourth-highest in school history and tops among freshmen.
Pat Garrity Best Screener Award
Presented to the player judged to be best screener, based on coaches’ evaluations Pat Garrity was an All-American as a senior in 1998 and was named the BIG EAST Conference Player of the Year in ’97.
2000 Winner: Murphy
David Rivers Assist Award
Presented to the player with the most assists, based on statistics. David Rivers is Notre Dame’s career leader in assists with 586 from 1984-88.
2000 Winner: Dillon, who had 214 assists to tie the school single-season record.
Bill Hanzlik Defensive Player Award
Presented to the top defensive player, based on coaches’ game reviews. Bill Hanzlik’s defensive abilities made him a first-round NBA Draft pick, despite the fact he averaged only 7.5 points per game as a senior in 1979-80.
2000 Winner: Freshman center Ivan Kartelo (Split, Croatia), who played in 37 games this season as a reserve.
Gary Brokaw Contributions Award
Presented to the player who contributes the most to the team in practice situations and behind the scenes, based on voting by players and coaches Gary Brokaw was an Irish All-American in 1974 and scored 1,001 career points from 1972-74.
2000 Winner: Forward Ryan Humphrey (Tulsa, Okla.), who sat out the season after transferring from Oklahoma, but was a daily part of Irish practice.
LaPhonso Ellis Blocked Shot Award
Presented to the player with most the most blocked shots, based on statistics LaPhonso Ellis is the Notre Dame career leader in blocked shots with 200 from 1988-92.
2000 Winner: Murphy, who led the Irish with 38 blocked shots and has 76 career blocks – fifth-highest in school history.
Bill Laimbeer Drawn Charges Award
Presented to player who has drawn the most charges, based on statistics Bill Laimbeer was an Irish captain in 1979 and played on the 1978 NCAA Final Four team.
2000 Winner: Swanagan
Moose Krause Captains’ Awards
Presented to the team captains The legendary Edward “Moose” Krause was three-time consensus All-American for the Irish. He later became the head basketball coach and served as athletic director at the school for 32 years from 1949 through 1980. He is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
2000 Winners: Senior forward Todd Palmer (Harrington Park, N.J.), Murphy and Owens