Men's Basketball Hosts Year-End Banquet
April 30, 2018 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES โ The UCLA men's basketball program hosted its annual year-end banquet on campus at the Luskin Conference Center on Monday evening, with junior Aaron Holiday earning the Coach John Wooden Award as the team's Most Valuable Player.
ย
Holiday, a 6-foot-1 junior from Chatsworth, Calif., was also the recipient of the UCLA Alumni Association Award as the team's assist leader. Holiday dished a team-high 192 assists, averaging 5.8 assists per game (the second-highest average among Pac-12 players). Holiday finished the year having averaged 20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, starting all 33 contests.
ย
Thomas Welsh was honored with the J.D. Morgan Memorial Award, presented by the Bruin Hoopsters to the outstanding "team" player. Welsh, a 7-foot center from Redondo Beach, Calif., averaged 12.6 points and a team-leading 10.8 rebounds per game. A second-team All-Pac-12 selection, Welsh was one of five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award.
ย
Holiday and Welsh were both recipients of the Bob "Ace" Calkins Memorial Award as the Bruins' top free throw shooter. Both players shot 82.8 percent from the free throw line. Holiday made 159 of 192 attempts, logging the Pac-12's third-highest total of made free throws. Welsh shot over 80 percent from the free throw line as a junior (2016-17) and senior (2017-18).
ย
In addition, Welsh was the recipient of this season's Gerald A. Finerman Award as the team's rebounding leader. Welsh, who averaged 10.8 rebounds per game, logged the Bruins' highest single-season rebounding average since David Greenwood averaged 11.4 rebounds per game for UCLA in 1977-78. Welsh registered a career-high 17 rebounds in two games and finished his Bruins' career with 37 career double-doubles.
ย
Gyorgy "G.G." Goloman was honored as the team's outstanding defensive player, earning the Irv Pohlmeyer Memorial Award. Goloman, a 6-foot-11 forward from Kormend, Hungary, led the Bruins with 42 blocks and ranked among the top 10 in the Pac-12 in blocks per game (1.3). Goloman also finished his senior season with 19 steals. He had a career-high four blocks in two games as a senior โ in the win at USC (March 3) and in the Bruins' NCAA Tournament contest versus St. Bonaventure (March 13).
ย
Goloman was also honored as the team's overall field goal percentage leader. He shot 54.8 percent from the field during his senior season, making 85 of 155 shots. Goloman averaged 7.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, having doubled his production from one year ago in most offensive categories.
ย
Kris Wilkes secured the Seymour Armond Memorial Award as the team's Most Valuable Freshman. Wilkes averaged 13.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, the second-highest averages on the team in both categories. He shot 44 percent from the field and made 56 three-pointers, the second-highest total on the squad. In addition, Wilkes scored in double figures in 26 of the team's 33 games, reaching the 20-point plateau in six contests.
ย
Alex Olesinski earned the Elvin C. "Ducky" Drake Memorial Award, honoring the player who best displays competitive spirit, inspiration and unselfish contributions. Olesinski returned to the court in 2017-18 after having missed the previous season with a left foot injury. The redshirt sophomore from Albuquerque, N.M., made nearly 52 percent of his shots and nailed 18 three-point attempts.
ย
Prince Ali was the recipient of UCLA's "Most Improved Player" Award, having registered 9.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. Ali played in all 33 contests, scoring in double figures in 16 games after having missed the entire 2016-17 season after having offseason knee surgery.
ย
Armani Dodson, a sophomore from Fontana, Calif., was the recipient of this year's UCLA Faculty Athletic Representative Award, honoring academic achievement. Dodson, a 6-foot-5 guard, intends to major in psychobiology.
ย
UCLA went 21-12 in 2017-18, posting an 11-7 mark in Pac-12 play (tied for third in the conference). The Bruins advanced to the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals for the second consecutive season before playing in the NCAA Tournament in Dayton, Ohio.
ย
