April 16, 2008

DALLAS (SMU) --- The SMU men's basketball team handed out its awards at the team banquet held at the Radisson Hotel Central Dallas on Wednesday. Head coach Matt Doherty along with the graduating seniors, Jon Killen, Paulius Ritter, and Derrick Roberts, addressed the audience about the season and the bright future of SMU basketball. Killen and Roberts earned captain honors while Killen also took home the MVP honor. Ritter was named most improved.

Each senior spoke during the event, reflecting upon his time at SMU. They also reflected upon the transition they undertook as a group to the new coaching staff at SMU headed by Matt Doherty and the new era of SMU basketball that can be symbolized by the Crum Basketball Center and upgrades to Moody Coliseum. All three seniors came to SMU in August of 2004 and will graduate this May.

The 2007-08 season included a long list of on and off the floor highlights as Doherty and his staff continued to build a foundation for the future. The Mustangs opened the $13-million, 43,000 square-foot Crum Basketball Center that has two full-size practice courts, players' locker rooms and lounges, a fully-equipped training and rehabilitation room with in-ground hydrotherapy pools, a strength and conditioning room, coaches' offices and film editing rooms. A new playing surface with a new floor design was installed before the 2007-08 basketball season. That followed a new scoreboard/videoboard that was installed in Dec. 2006.

On the floor, the Mustangs finished 10-20 with coach Doherty's first full recruiting class. The squad went 8-5 in the final 13 home games with three of those losses in the final second of the game. The squad also made 192 3-point field goals, which is tied for the fourth most in a season at SMU; and recorded 122 blocked shots, seventh-best ever at SMU. Killen was named All-Conference USA third team and Academic All-Conference. Freshman Papa Dia was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team. In league play, Dia finished seventh in rebounding (6.4) and 26th in scoring (10.9). Those ranks for freshman were first in rebounding and third in scoring.

MVP - Jon Killen All-Conference USA Third Team Conference USA All-Academic (3.45 GPA in double major of business management and sociology) Meyer Brothers' Academic Award (academic success, athletic achievement and community involvement) Led team in scoring (12.9), assists (5.1), steals (1.5), 3-pointers (75), and 3-point percentage (40.3)

Assists - Jon Killen Led team at 5.1 (second in C-USA) Led league in conference play (5.8) Totaled sixth-most assists (93) in league games in C-USA history

Charges - Jon Killen

Defensive Award - Jon Killen Led team in steals and seventh in C-USA (1.47)

Academic Award - Jon Killen 3.45 GPA in double major of business management and sociology and will graduate in May

Captains - Derrick Roberts and Jon Killen Each completed his second season as a co-captain

FT % - Derrick Roberts Led Mustangs at 75.0 percent (48-64) Was 30-35 (85.7) in the final five minutes of games, SMU 8-2 in those contests

Most Improved - Paulius Ritter Set career highs in points (2.7), rebounds (3.7), and field goal percentage (48.4)

Rebounder - Papa Dia Conference USA All-Freshman Team Fifth SMU freshman to lead team in rebounding (6.5)

Screener - Papa Dia

Coaches Award - Ryan Harp Played in all 30 games and started 16 of last 17 games as a freshman Averaged 4.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.7 steals, and a 1.1 assist to turnover ratio Fourth on team and top freshman at 25.7 minutes per game, fourth on team in assists

Season recaps to follow for Killen, Ritter, and Roberts.

Senior co-captain Jon Killen was named to the All-Conference USA third-team after leading the Mustangs in scoring (12.9), assists (5.13), steals (1.47), and 3-point percentage (.403). In league games, Killen led C-USA in assists (5.81), was second in minutes (36.25), third in 3-pointers (3.25), sixth in 3-point percentage (.424), eighth in scoring (14.9), 11th in assist to turnover ratio (1.63), and 12th in steals (1.31). He was also named Conference USA Player of the Week on Jan. 28. He became just the third Mustang to rank in the school's top-ten for steals, assists, and three-pointers. Killen was also named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team for the second straight season. Killen will graduate in May with bachelor's degrees in business management and sociology and currently has a 3.45 GPA. He just completed his second season as team captain and also serves on SMU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He recently received the Meyer Brothers' Award at SMU for combined academic success, athletic achievement and community involvement.

Roberts also completed his second season as a co-captain and finished his career at SMU 10th in 3-pointers (103), 13th in 3-point percentage (.337), 18th at SMU in career assists (243), and 21st in steals (90). In league play this season, he finished among the Conference USA leaders in 3-point percentage (9th at 412), minutes (13th at 32.36), 3-pointers made (15th at 1.50), and scoring (30th at 10.1). He also led all current Mustangs by scoring in double-figures 47 times in his career. He will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in economics.

Ritter finished his career with his best season, setting new career highs in rebounding (3.7), minutes (13.9), field goals (30), and scoring (2.7) while hitting over 48 percent from the field. He also scored a career-high nine points in the double-overtime win against UTEP. Ritter will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in economics specializing in finance.