The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Men's Basketball Banquet Held Tuesday
4/9/2002 | Men's Basketball
April 9, 2002
OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss basketball team held its 2001-02 awards banquet Tuesday on campus, and Jason Harrison, the squad's lone senior, went out in style with three awards. The 5-foot-5 guard carried home the team's Assist and Free Throw honors, along with the Rod Barnes "Heart of a Champion" award, which is given to the Ole Miss player who - like Barnes - strives for excellence on and off the court.
Harrison, a Little Rock, Ark., native, led the Rebels in assists with 122 and free throw shooting at 86 percent. His performance from the charity stripe was tops in the Southeastern Conference in 2001-02. Harrison finished his career with 1,066 points and 427 assists, becoming only the second player in Ole Miss history to have 1,000 points and 400 assists. Rod Barnes is the other Rebel player to accomplish the feat.
Junior David Sanders also claimed three awards at the banquet, as he was honored as the team's Most Valuable Player and Best Defensive Player. The Jackson, Miss., native also received the W.L. "Mr. Bill" Watt honor, given to an Ole Miss player who perseveres and has a "never-give-up" attitude.
Sanders, a 6-foot-3 guard, was second on the squad in scoring with a 12.5 average, and led the Rebels in field goal percentage (54.9) and three-point field goal percentage (50.7). He also averaged 4.6 rebounds from his guard spot, and was second on the team with 83 assists. Sanders had 37 steals, which was third on the squad.
Sophomore Justin Reed and junior Derrick Allen each received two awards apiece. Reed, a 6-foot-8 forward, was named the team's Scholar-Athlete of the Year to go along with his Rebound Award. The Jackson, Miss., native was named to the UMAA Honor Roll (3.00-3.49 gpa) the past two semesters. He led the Rebels on the boards in 2001-02 with a 6.6 average.
Allen, who played his first year with Ole Miss in 2001-02 after transferring from Southern Union State Community College, received the B.L. "Country" Graham Award, which is awarded to the player who exhibits the most positive attitude on the squad. The 6-foot-8 forward also took home the squad's Most Improved Player honor. In only his first season of action, the Gadsden, Ala., native averaged 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds, while shooting 53.1 percent from the field and 70.5 percent from the charity stripe.
The Rebels finished the 2001-02 campaign with a 20-11 overall record and a 9-7 SEC mark. Ole Miss earned an NCAA Tournament bid, marking the sixth straight year that the Rebels have played in the postseason. Ole Miss is one of only two SEC schools to have recorded a winning record and earned a postseason berth each year since 1996-97. Kentucky is the other SEC school to do so.
2001-02 Ole Miss Basketball Award Winners
Rebound Award - Justin Reed
Assist Award - Jason Harrison
Free Throw Award - Jason Harrison
Best Defensive Player - David Sanders
Most Improved Player - Derrick Allen
Most Valuable Player - David Sanders
Scholar-Athlete of the Year - Justin Reed
W.L. "Mr. Bill" Watt Award - David Sanders
B.L. "Country" Graham Award - Derrick Allen
Rod Barnes "Heart of a Champion" Award - Jason Harrison
