COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Student-athletes, coaches and friends of the Texas A&M men’s basketball program gathered inside the All-American Club at Kyle Field on Tuesday night to celebrate an unforgettable season during the team’s annual awards banquet.
The 2015-16 season stood out as a banner campaign in the annals of Texas A&M basketball as the Aggies captured a school-record 28 victories, shared the SEC title to claim their first regular season league title since 1986 and made a trip to the Sweet 16.
The program’s award winners are as follows:
Most Outstanding Player & Defensive Player of the Year: Alex Caruso
One of the most memorable players to ever don the Maroon & White, Caruso left an indelible mark on Aggie basketball during his four seasons in the program. The College Station native leaves Texas A&M as the program’s all-time assist (649) and steals leader (276) and stands out as the only player in SEC history to compile over 1,000 career points (1,090), 600 assists (649), 500 career rebounds (513), 250 steals (276) and 50 blocks (59).
In addition to garnering second team All-SEC honors and a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team from the league’s coaches, Caruso was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year by CBS Sports.
Offensive Player of the Year: Jalen Jones
During his second season in Aggieland, the Dallas native stood out as one of the SEC’s most constant performers and was recognized by garnering first-team All-SEC honors as well as Second Team All-District 21 accolades from the National Association of Basketball Coaches and All-District VII from the US Basketball Writers Association. On the court Jones played in 33 games and ranked 14th in the SEC with a 15.3 point-per-game average while checking in at 12th in the league by averaging 7.2 rebounds per contest. The 6-foot-7 guard/forward combo logged five double-doubles on the season, leaving him with a total of 15 for his collegiate career, and produced 11 games with 20 or more points while shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 32.4 percent (34-of-105) from beyond the 3-point arc.
Chris Walker Hustle Award: Anthony Collins
During his lone season in College Station, Collins made an impact on both ends of the court during the Aggies’ run to the Sweet 16. The Houston native, who played four seasons at South Florida before returning to Texas, started all 37 contests at point guard and ranked second on the team to Caruso in both assists (155) and steals (38). Collins averaged 4.2 assists per outing to rank 10th among all SEC players and stood out as one of the country’s top free throw shooters, converting at 87.2 percent from the charity stripe the season.
Newcomer of the Year: Tyler Davis
Less than a year removed from being named Mr. Basketball in the state of Texas by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches following a standout senior season at Plano West High School, Davis wasted no time establishing himself as one of the SEC’s best players. The 6-foot-10 center garnered SEC All-Freshman Team accolades after starting 34 of 36 games played and averaging 22.8 minutes per outing. The Plano, Texas, native contributed 11.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per outing while racking up 26 assists, 20 steals and a team-leading 41 blocks. Twice named SEC Freshman of the Week, Davis stood out as one of the country’s most efficient players on the offensive end, converting 150-of-299 field goals to lead the SEC with a 65.5 shooting percentage
Daniels Scoates Garner Scholar Athlete Award: Kyle Dobbins
Despite never leading the Aggies in points or rebounds, Dobbins had a huge impact during his senior season. An energetic personality who is always counted on for positive energy by his teammates, the Houston native stood out as tireless worker on the hardwood and in the classroom. A mechanical engineering major, Dobbins garnered a spot on the 2016 SEC Men’s Basketball Community Service Team.
Unsung Hero Award & Strength and Conditioning Award: Tonny Trocha-Morelos
After a long odyssey to make his Texas A&M debut last season and a year of learning on the court, Trocha-Morelos took a big step forward in the offseason and on the hardwood during the Aggies’ SEC championship run. The second-year center played in all 37 games, along the way averaging 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per contest while contributing 37 assists, 23 blocked shots and 15 steals. Trocha-Morelos shot 46.2 percent from the field and, after not making a 3-point basket as a freshman, knocked down 30 long range jumpers in his second season.
All-American Recognition: Danuel House
The Fresno, Texas, native garnered Honorable Mention All-America status from the Associated Press to become the eighth Aggie all-time to garner All-America recognition as well as the first since Acie Law IV stood out as a consensus first-team selection following the 2006-07 campaign.
This season, House led the Aggies and ranked among the SEC leaders with a 15.6 point-per-game average while shooting 39.6 percent from the floor and compiling 77 assists, 19 steals and 11 blocked shots. The 6-foot-7 shooting guard hit the 20-point plateau nine times, a figure that was highlighted by a career-best 32 point outburst against No. 16 Kentucky during the title game of the SEC Tournament to garner a spot on the All-SEC Tournament Team.
Reed Rowdy Award / Aggie Angel Award: Jeff Wallace & McKenzie Turk
The Aggie basketball program also took a few minutes to recognize two members of the support organizations that give the team so much encouragement and behind-the-scenes effort throughout the year. Honored with the Reed Rowdy Award was Jeff Wallace, a sophomore from Austin, Texas, and McKenzie Turk, a senior from Inez, Texas, was presented with the Aggie Angel Award.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics