April 29, 2003

Wake Forest handed out its team postseason awards tonight at the team¡¦s annual banquet at Forsyth Country Club.

Demon Deacon senior Steve Lepore, who overcame a serious knee injury and played a key role as a veteran leader on a youthful roster, earned the Murray Greason Award. The Greason Award, named after the former Wake Forest head coach, goes to the player who had the biggest impact on his teammates.

Senior All-American and unanimous ACC Player of the Year Josh Howard took home two pieces of hardware as the team¡¦s best rebounder and best defender. Howard was the leading rebounder (8.3 rebounds per game) on the first ACC team to ever lead the nation in rebounding. Howard, the leading vote-getter on the ACC All-Defense Team, ranked among the league leaders in steals and blocked shots.

Sophomore Taron Downey also earned two awards -- best free throw shooter and assists leader. Downey ranked third in the ACC in free throw percentage (.861) and he led the Deacons with 130 assists.

The Most Improved Player Award was shared by sophomores Vytas Danelius and Jamaal Levy. Danelius averaged 12.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Levy averaged 7.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest.

The Most Valuable Player Award did not go to a player, but to assistant athletic director for sports medicine Greg Collins. Wake¡¦s head athletic trainer, Collins was instrumental in the treatment and rehabilitation of injuries to Howard, Lepore, Justin Gray and Dshamal Schoetz.

The keynote speaker at the banquet was former Deacon Billy Packer, who was a starting guard on the 1962 Wake Forest team that won the ACC outright regular season title and advanced to the Final Four.