DETROIT (4/14/14) - The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team celebrated its 2013-14 achievements at the annual end-of-year banquet at the Fountain Lounge Monday evening.
 
Titans co-captain Juwan Howard Jr. took home the Robert Calihan Most Valuable Player Award after a standout junior campaign. Howard was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team and to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District Second Team after finishing his junior campaign averaging 18.3 ppg, which ranked fourth in the Horizon League. He also finished 11th in rebounding (5.3), fourth in free throw percentage (83.9%) and tied for 10th with 1.7 three-point field goals made per game, all while leading the Titans with 2.2 assists per game.

The Dave DeBusschere Most Improved Award went to senior center Ugochukwu Njoku who played in 31 games - starting 27 - for Detroit and led the team with 47 blocked shots. He finished his senior campaign by averaging 4.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Njoku's rebound total ranked eighth in the Horizon League, while his 1.5 blocked shots per game were good enough for fifth.
 
Njoku and senior co-captain Evan Bruinsma were also tabbed the William Ebben Academic and Athletic Excellence Award winners, while classmate Olumide Solanke earned the Frank R. Gerbig, Sr. Sportsmanship Award.
 
The Larry Doyle Most Dedicated Titan Award also went to Bruinsma who recorded personal best numbers in every statistical category during his senior campaign. The forward played in and started all 32 games for the Titans and finished his career playing in 128 games, the second most all-time in a Detroit uniform. He was named to the College Sports Madness All-Horizon League Second Team after finishing second on the team in scoring and 13th in the Horizon League with 12.5 points per game. Bruinsma also led the Titans and finished third in the Horizon League with 7.7 rebounds per game. He recorded a team-high six double-doubles on the year and finished 14th in the Horizon League in free throw percentage (76.7) and 15th in field goal percentage (44.8). Bruinsma scored a career-high 32 points against Stony Brook - including a Horizon League record of 20 made free throws - while grabbing 14 rebounds.

The freshman backcourt of Matthew Grant and Jarod Williams collected the Norm Swanson Top Newcomer(s) Award. Grant and Williams were the first two true freshman guards to start for the Titans since Audie Mathews and Mark Moore did during the 1980-81 season. Grant finished his rookie season averaging 7.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 81 percent from the charity stripe. Williams and averaged 7.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Both Grant and Williams earned Horizon League Freshman of the Week honors.

Williams also took home the Most Courageous Award after starting 28 games for the Titans as a true freshman and being named to the named to the All-Horizon League Freshman Team.

A complete list of the year-end award winners is below:

Statistical Awards:
Assists: Juwan Howard Jr. (2.2)
Rebounding: Evan Bruinsma (7.7)
Deflections: Ugochukwu Njoku (74)
Charges: Jermaine Lippert and Njoku (5)
Best FG%: Jermaine Lippert (65.8%)
Best FT%: Juwan Howard Jr. (83.9%)
 
Team Awards:
Leading Scorer – John R. Kirwan Award – Juwan Howard Jr.
Sportsmanship – Frank R. Gerbig Sr. Award – Olumide Solanke
Academic Excellance – William Ebben Award – Evan Bruinsma and Ugochukwu Njoku
Top Newcomer – Norm Swanson Award – Matthew Grant and Jarod Williams
Most Improved Player – Dave DeBusschere Award – Ugochukwu Njoku
Most Dedicated Titan – Larry Doyle Award – Evan Bruinsma
Most Courageous Player – Rashad Phillips Award – Jarod Williams
Most Valuable Player – Robert Calihan Award – Juwan Howard Jr.