UCLA Celebrates Successful Season at Awards Banquet

UCLA junior guard, Arron Afflalo,
the Pacific-10 Player of the Year, was given the Coach John R. Wooden
Award as the Bruins' Most Valuable Player Monday at UCLA's annual
Hoopsters Awards/Dinner Banquet held at the Beverly Hilton.

UCLA's first consensus All-American since Ed O'Bannon in 1995,
Afflalo led the Bruins in scoring (16.9 ppg), which ranked third in the
Pac-10 Conference. He helped guide the Bruins to back-to-back Final
Four appearances and back-to-back Pac-10 titles. Afflalo also shared
the Coach John Wooden Award last year with Jordan Farmar.

During the evening's festivities, Afflalo also was given the Irv
Pohlmeyer Memorial Award (Outstanding Defensive Player) for the third
year in a row.

Sophomore guard Darren Collison 
also was a double award winner, receiving the UCLA Alumni Association
Award (Team Assist Leader) after averaging 5.7 apg, which ranked second
in the Pac-10. Collison was also given the Bob "Ace" Calkins Memorial
Award (Free Throw Champion) by shooting 81.0 percent (94-for-116) from
the charity stripe.

Two starting sophomores - Josh Shipp and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute - shared the Bruin Hoopsters J.D. Morgan Memorial Award (Outstanding
Team Play). Shipp finished second on the team in scoring (13.3 ppg) and
in assists (2.6 apg) while Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was fourth in scoring (8.2 ppg) and second in steals (1.7 spg). He was
also the third and final Bruin to take home two awards on the evening,
earning the Gerald A. Finerman Award (Team Rebounding Leader) after
averaging 7.4 rebounds per game (259 rebounds).

Bruin freshman Russell Westbrook
won the Seymour Armond Memorial Award (Most Valuable Freshman) after
averaging 3.4 points per game and shooting 45.7 percent (48-for-105)
from the field and 40.9 percent (9-for-22) from three-point range in
his first collegiate campaign.

Junior center Lorenzo Mata was given the Bruin Bench Basketball Award for Most Improvement in
All-Around Play and Mental Attitude. He averaged 6.6 points and 5.4
rebounds per game while leading UCLA in blocks with 42 (1.2 bpg) and
was one of only four Bruins (Afflalo, Westbrook and Michael Roll were the other three) to play in all 36 games on the year.

Sophomore forward/center Alfred Aboya
was given the Elvin C. "Ducky" Drake Memorial Award for Competitive
Spirit, Inspiration and Unselfish Contributions. He averaged 4.1 points
and 4.2 rebounds per game in his second season with UCLA.

Two Bruins, sophomore forward/center Ryan Wright and freshman guard Mustafa Abdul-Hamid, shared the UCLA Faculty Athletic Representative Award (Academic Achievement and Team Contribution).

2007 UCLA Men's Basketball/Bruin Hoopsters Annual Awards/Dinner Banquet Award Winners
Bob "Ace" Calkins Memorial Award/Free Throw Champion: Darren Collison.

Elvin C. "Ducky" Drake Memorial Award/Competitive Spirit, Inspiration and Unselfish Contributions:  Alfred Aboya

Bruin Hoopsters J.D. Morgan Memorial Award/Outstanding Team Play: Josh Shipp and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute

UCLA Faculty Athletic Representative Award/Academic Achievement and Team Contribution: Mustafa Abdul-Hamid and Ryan Wright.

Seymour Armond Memorial Award/Most Valuable Freshman: Russell Westbrook

Bruin Bench Basketball Award/Most Improvement in All-Around Play and Mental Attitude: Lorenzo Mata

Irv Pohlmeyer Memorial Award/Outstanding Defensive Player: Arron Afflalo

UCLA Alumni Association Award/Team Assist Leader: Darren Collison

Gerald A. Finerman Award/Team Rebounding Leader: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute

Coach John Wooden Award/Most Valuable Player: Arron Afflalo

(UCLA Press Release)