DAYTON -- University of Dayton senior guard Kevin Dillard was named winner of the White-Allen Most Valuable Player Award Sunday afternoon at the annual UD men's basketball banquet. The event was held in the Time Warner Cable Flight Deck at the University of Dayton Arena.
Dillard, a 2008 product of Homewood-Flossmoor High School in the Chicago area, leads UD in scoring (15.3), assists (4.5), 3-pointers made (53), free throws made (137), free throw percentage (.895) and minutes (32.8). He is second in UD history in career free throw percentage (.863, 252-292) and career assist average (5.3). This award was Dillard’s fifth MVP award in two years in a Dayton uniform. He was also the 2011 Old Spice Classic MVP, last year’s co-MVP with Chris Johnson and a two-time Blackburn/McCafferty MVP in wins over Xavier.
Dillard is the 16th Flyer to earn multiple team MVP honors. Dillard, Dave Colbert (another two-year transfer) and Henry Finkel are the only players to be named MVP in every season they played at UD.
The White-Allen Most Valuable Player Trophy is sponsored by Tim White and White-Allen Auto Group, Inc. The award is selected by members of the team. The White-Allen Trophy has been awarded annually since 1953. White-Allen now sponsors the MVP award for UD’s men’s and women’s basketball, football and volleyball teams.
Dillard was also the winner of the Alex Schoen Memorial Free Throw Trophy as UD’s top free throw shooter. The Schoen Trophy is named in honor of Alex Schoen, Sr., the captain of UD's first varsity basketball team in 1903-04. Awarded since 1950, it is sponsored by Alex Schoen, Jr. It goes to the UD player with the highest FT% with a minimum of 1.5 free throws per game attempted. Dillard’s current .895 FT% is the fifth-best single-season mark at UD.
As the team’s top rebounder, junior Devin Oliver captured the “Shorty” Sharpenter Memorial Rebounding Trophy. The Sharpenter Award is named for Hall of Famer Ned "Shorty" Sharpenter, and has been sponsored by his family since its inception in 1979. Oliver averages 7.9 rebounds a game. He is fifth in the Atlantic 10 in rebounding and his 13 double-figure games are the second-most in the conference this season.
Oliver was also UD’s Chris Daniels Memorial Award winner. After averaging 4.9 points and 5.0 rebounds a game, and shooting just .418 (56-134) as a sophomore, Oliver has upped those numbers to 9.3, 7.9 and .472 (103-218). The Daniels Award and is sponsored by Skelton Sports, and is presented in memory of Flyer center Chris Daniels. Originated in 1994-95 as the most improved player award, this award was renamed for Chris Daniels following his death in 1996.
Redshirt junior guard Brian Vonderhaar was presented with the John L. Macbeth Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award for the second straight year. The Macbeth Award goes to the upperclassman on the team with the highest cumulative grade point average. A Finance and Entrepreneurship double major, Vonderhaar carries a 3.8 GPA. The Macbeth Scholar-Athlete Award is presented in memory of Dayton businessman John L. Macbeth, and is sponsored by Mrs. John L. Macbeth and family. It has been awarded since 1959.
Vonderhaar was another repeat winner. He was named the winner of the Dr. George Rau Spirit Award, which is given annually to the player who displays true team spirit, on and off the court. A walk-on from Cincinnati, Vonderhaar has seen action in 12 games this season. The Harry O'Rourke Insurance Agency sponsors the Rau Award, which began following the long-time Flyer team physician's death in 1972.
Freshman guard Khari Price was named the winner of the Best Defender Award. Price’s value was best demonstrated by his absence. Sidelined six games with a deep thigh bruise, Price sat out while the Flyers went 2-4 with wins against two of the bottom teams in the A-10. The team’s top perimeter defender, Price has played in 23 games in his first season at UD, averaging 2.9 points a game. First presented in 1994-95, the Best Defender Award is determined by the coaching staff.
Junior guard Vee Sanford was named this season’s winner of the Uhl Family Endowed Scholarship. Former Flyers Bill Uhl, Sr. and Bill Uhl, Jr., have endowed a men’s basketball scholarship that is given annually to be given to a returning Flyer basketball player. Originally awarded in 2003, it was the first endowed award of this type in the University of Dayton Athletics Division. It is given annually to the UD player who best exemplifies the qualities of good sportsmanship and character, and follows the University’s creed of “Learn, Lead and Serve” on and off the court. Previous recipients have been Keith Waleskowski, Mark Jones, Warren Williams, Jimmy Binnie, Marcus Johnson, Kurt Huelsman, Devin Searcy, Luke Fabrizius and Devin Oliver.
Sanford is second on the team in scoring (12.3), assists (2.2), minutes (29.3), FT% (.819, 68-83) and steals (32).
Freshman forward Dyshawn Pierre was presented the Thomas M. Luppe Award, which is presented to the first-year player on the team who best demonstrates the courage, desire and integrity of former Flyer freshman Tom Luppe. The Luppe Award honors Thomas M. Luppe, who died in 1963 while playing in a UD freshman game. Pierre has played in all 30 games, starting 27. On the season, he averages 8.7 points game, and has scored in double figures in five of the last seven games. He is second on the team in rebounding (5.1) and FG% (.550, 93-169).
UD finished the regular season 17-13 overall and 7-9 in the Atlantic 10. Dayton will meet either Butler or Temple Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET in the first round of the A-10 tournament, which will be played in Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
2012-2013 UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON MEN'S BASKETBALL AWARDS
WHITE-ALLEN MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
KEVIN DILLARD
ALEX SCHOEN FREE THROW PERCENTAGE
KEVIN DILLARD
JOHN L. MACBETH SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
BRIAN VONDERHAAR
DR. GEORGE RAU SPIRIT AWARD
BRIAN VONDERHAAR
"SHORTY" SHARPENTER TOP REBOUNDER
DEVIN OLIVER
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
KHARI PRICE
CHRIS DANIELS MEMORIAL AWARD
DEVIN OLIVER
UHL FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
VEE SANFORD
THOMAS M. LUPPE MEMORIAL AWARD
DYSHAWN PIERRE
