April 16, 2009
Chapel Hill - All-Americas Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson were named co-Most
Valuable Players and Bobby Frasor, who overcame a season-ending knee injury
a year ago, was named the team's best defensive player at UNC's
end-of-season awards ceremony held Thursday evening at the Smith Center.
The Tar Heels celebrated their national championship with an evening of
awards, videos and speeches by departing seniors Mike Copeland, Frasor,
Danny Green, Hansbrough, Patrick Moody, J.B. Tanner and Jack Wooten.
Carolina was 34-4 overall and 13-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, winning
the schools' fifth NCAA Tournament championship and 27th ACC regular-season
title.
Hansbrough led the Tar Heels in scoring and rebounding for the fourth year
in a row, an unprecedented feat in ACC history. Lawson led the ACC in
assists, steals and assist-turnover ratio and was second on the team in
scoring.
Frasor played just 12 games last year before tearing his anterior cruciate
ligament in his left knee. He played in all 38 games this year, winning
UNC's defensive player of the game honors a team-high 15 times, more than
the next two players combined. He was the team's best defender in the Final
Four wins over Villanova and Michigan State.
Frasor was selected a permanent team captain with Green and Hansbrough.
Junior guard Wayne Ellington and freshman forward Ed Davis received the
Jimmie Dempsey Award as the team's Most Improved Players.
Wooten was presented the Burgess McSwain Scholar-Athlete Award, named for
the team's late academic counselor.
Marcus Ginyard, who started the last two seasons but missed all but three
games due to a broken foot, was given the Foy Roberson Award as the team's
Most Inspirational Player.
Tyler Zeller was presented the Butch Bennett Award, given to the freshman
that best exemplifies determination, sportsmanship and sacrifice. Zeller
started the first two games before breaking his wrist, an injury that
sidelined him for 13 weeks. Rather than sitting out the rest of the season
and seeking a medical red-shirt, Zeller chose to play the final 13 games.
