University of North Carolina Athletics
Hansbrough, Lawson Named Co-MVPs As Tar Heels Celebrate Championship Season
April 16, 2009 | Men's Basketball
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.
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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.
