Banks, Bobbitt and Basden Bring Home Men's Basketball Awards

Sean Banks

Cincinnati guard Tony Bobbitt, who ranks fourth in the nation in scoring among reserves, was chosen as the Conference USA Sixth Player of the Year, the league office announced Tuesday. Charlotte swingman Eddie Basden was tabbed as the conference?s Defensive Player of the Year, while Memphis forward Sean Banks received C-USA Freshman of the Year accolades. Banks is joined on the All-Freshman team by East Carolina guard Mike Cook, Charlotte center Martin Iti, Marquette guard/forward Dameon Mason and DePaul guard Sammy Mejia.

Bobbitt tops all C-USA reserve players with a 13.3 scoring average, second on the Bearcats. A second team NABC All-District 10 selection, Bobbitt has a team-high 46 steals and ranks eighth in the conference with 68 three-point field goals made. He broke the school record with eight steals against Coppin State on Nov. 29 and has recorded at least one steal in all but eight games. Bobbitt is only the third reserve player in league history to earn All-Conference accolades.

Basden ranks second in Conference USA in steals with 60 and is second on the team in rebounds with an average of 6.4 per game. He has registered three or more steals in all but one game this season and has produced three or more steals in 11 outings. A 6-5 swingman, Basden is often charged with guarding opposing team?s top scoring threat. In some case this season, that may have been a player that is 4-5 inches taller than him.

Banks burst on the Conference USA scene this season, leading the league?s freshmen in scoring (18.0) and in rebounding (6.9), while also ranking among the league?s leaders in three-point field goal percentage (.392) and blocked shots (27). He has scored 20 or more points 12 times, including each of the last six outings. He scored a career-high 29 points against Charlotte on Jan. 17 and nearly matched that at Cincinnati this past Saturday, netting 28. The 6-8 Banks is the only player in Memphis basketball history to hit at least six three-pointers in a game on four different occasions. Over his last six games, Banks is averaging 25.5 points per game. Banks is the second Memphis player to earn Freshman of the Year honors in the last three years, joining Dajuan Wagner in 2002.

2003-04 CONFERENCE USA SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tony Bobbitt, Cincinnati, G, 6-4, 185, Sr., Daytona Beach, Fla./Southern Idaho

2003-04 CONFERENCE USA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Eddie Basden, Charlotte, G/F, 6-5, 205, Jr., Washington, D.C./Eleanor Roosevelt

2003-04 CONFERENCE USA FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Sean Banks, Memphis, F, 6-8, 210, Oradell, N.J./Bergen Catholic

2003-04 CONFERENCE USA ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Sean Banks, Memphis, F, 6-8, 210, Oradell, N.J./Bergen Catholic
Mike Cook, East Carolina, G, 6-2, 220, Philadelphia, Pa./New Hampton (N.H.) Prep
Martin Iti, Charlotte, C, 7-0, 240, Sydney, Australia/Mt. Zion (N.C.) Academy
Dameon Mason, Marquette, G/F, 6-5, 180, Aurora, Ill./West Aurora
Sammy Mejia, DePaul, G, 6-6, 195, Bronx, N.Y./Storm King Prep