The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Men's Basketball Awards Banquet Held Tuesday Night
4/11/2000 | Men's Basketball
April 11, 2000
OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss men's basketball team held its awards banquet for the 1999-2000 campaign on Tuesday night, and junior Rahim Lockhart and sophomores Jason Harrison and John Engstrom led the parade of honors, as each player received two awards apiece.
Lockhart was presented with the Bonnie "Country" Graham and the team's Rebound awards. The 6-foot-8, 250-pound forward led Ole Miss on the boards with an 8.4 average and posted double-digit rebounds in 14 games this past season. The Graham Award is presented to the Rebel player who exhibits the most positive attitude on the team. During the season, Lockhart was named to the Southeastern Conference Good Works Team.
Harrison, who earned Associated Press (AP) All-SEC third team accolades, received the squad's Assists and Free Throw awards. The 5-foot-5 guard led the squad with 115 assists and a 79.6 free throw shooting percentage. Harrison became the first Rebel player to record 100 assists in a season since 1994-95, and his free throw percentage was fifth best in the conference.
Engstrom received the Rod Barnes' "Heart of a Champion" and Scholar Athlete honors. The Barnes' Award is given to the Ole Miss player who overcomes adversity and strives for excellence academically and athletically. The 7-foot center played his second full season for Ole Miss in 1999-2000, seeing action in 23 games and averaging 1.0 points and 0.9 rebounds. Engstrom was redshirted in 1997-98 after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee in preseason drills. He was named to SEC Academic Honor Roll for the second straight year in 1999-2000, holding a 3.17 grade-point average in Business.
The team's Most Valuable Player honor went to senior Marcus Hicks. The 6-foot-6 junior forward led the team in scoring with a 14.3 average and was second in rebounding at 5.9 boards per game. The Jackson, Tenn., native scored in double figures 26 contests, and shot 49.6 percent from the floor.
Lataryl Williams received the Most Improved Player award. The 6-foot-7 forward, who averaged 3.1 points and 1.5 rebounds in limited action in 1998-99, increased his offensive production to 9.0 points and 3.5 boards this year. The Oxford, Miss., native started 31 games and shot 48.8 percent from the field.
The team's Best Defensive Player honor was awarded to junior Jason Flanigan. It is the second straight year that the 6-foot-1 guard has received the award. Flanigan, who is one of the top defensive players in the SEC, averaged 8.4 points and 2.9 rebounds and dished out 97 assists in 1999-2000.
The Rebel finished the 1999-2000 season with a 19-14 overall record and advanced to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) quarterfinals. The winning campaign and postseason tournament berth was Ole Miss' fourth straight.
1999-2000 Ole Miss Men's Basketball Award Recipients
Rod Barnes "Heart of A Champion" - John Engstrom
Bonnie "Country" Graham - Rahim Lockhart
Most Valuable Player - Marcus Hicks
Scholar Athlete - John Engstrom
Most Improved - Lataryl Williams
Best Defensive Player - Jason Flanigan
Assist Award - Jason Harrison
Rebound Award - Rahim Lockhart
Free Throw Award - Jason Harrison
