April 24, 2012
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CORALVILLE, Iowa — Senior guard Matt Gatens has been named recipient of the Chris Street Award for the 2011-12 men’s basketball season. Gatens received the award Tuesday night at the team’s banquet at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.
The Chris Street Award is presented annually to a Hawkeye player, or players, who best exemplify the spirit, enthusiasm and intensity of Chris Street. Street was an Iowa basketball player who died in an auto accident in 1993, midway through his junior year.
Gatens (6-5, 212) was the only Hawkeye to start all 35 games this season. A second team All-Big Ten selection, Gatens led the team in scoring (15.2), 3-pointers (75-of-183) and free throws (111-of-130), and third in assists (69). The Iowa City native posted double figures a team-best 27 times, including netting 20 points or more nine times. The co-captain led the team in scoring in seven straight games from Feb. 16 to March 8, which is the longest streak by a Hawkeye since Andre Woolridge led his squad seven straight games in 1997.
Gatens was also awarded the Defensive Player of the Year Award. The senior was routinely assigned to stop one of the opposition’s top perimeter players and ranked second on the squad on steals, collecting a single-season best 48 in 2011-12.
Gatens started his senior season ranked 30th in career scoring at Iowa and finished in sixth place. He becomes only the second Hawkeye to ever amass over 1,600 points, 450 rebounds, 250 assists and 125 steals (Roy Marble). Gatens played and started in 128, which ties Brody Boyd (2001-04) for fifth most in Iowa history. He scored in double digits 89 career times, including eclipsing 20 points 18 times. He is the school record holder for consecutive 3-pointers made, sinking 12 straight spanning the Indiana and Wisconsin games this past February.
Gatens was a leader on-and-off the court, serving as a two-time team co-captain, earning Academic All-Big Ten recognition twice and being named the Iowa men’s basketball Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree.
Other Hawkeyes recognized at the banquet included Andrew Brommer, Bryce Cartwright, Matt Gatens, Roy Devyn Marble, Eric May and Aaron White.
Brommer, Cartwright and Gatens shared the team’s Senior Leadership awards. In addition to earning a leadership award, Cartwright was named the team’s Top Playmaker for the second year in a row. Despite fighting through three different injuries throughout his senior season, the team co-captain ranked second in the Big Ten in assists (4.8) while also averaging six points per outing. The native of Compton, Calif., averaged 8.5 assists in Iowa’s four postseason games, including becoming only the third Hawkeye to dish out double-digit assists in back-to-back games when he was credited with 11 dimes versus Dayton and 10 at Oregon (Cal Wulfsberg in 1976 and B.J. Armstrong in 1989). Like many of his teammates, Cartwright was at his best late in the season when healthy. Cartwright distributed five or more assists 18 times, including 12 of the final 16 games played.
White (6-8, 225), who was recognized on the Kyle Macy Freshman All-America and All-Big Ten Freshman teams, was named the team’s Freshman of the Year and Best Rounder. The native of Strongsville, Ohio, ranked first in team rebounding (5.7), second in blocks (23) and double-doubles (3), and third in scoring (11.1), steals (31). White, who was a three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree, played in all 35 games, starting the last 14. White, who scored in double figures 18 times his rookie campaign, averaged 16.2 points while shooting 68 percent (21-of-31) from the field the last five games of the season. He led the team in rebounding nine of the last 13 games and 11 times overall. White shot 53.5 percent from the field during conference play, which ranked sixth best.
Marble (6-6, 194) and McCabe (6-7, 232) shared the team’s Most Improved Award. Marble’s scoring and assists improved by 5.8 and 2.3 per game, respectively, this season compared to last. The sophomore led the team in steals (53) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1), ranked second in scoring (11.5) and assists (126), and fourth in rebounding (3.8). The native of Southfield, Mich., netted double figures 23 times, including 15 of the last 17 contests. Marble scored a career-high 31 points, bolstered by sinking seven 3-pointers, in Iowa’s final game of 2012 in the second round of the NIT at Oregon. The seven triples are the most by a Hawkeye in a postseason game, while the 31 points is the most points ever scored by an Iowa player in an NIT contest.
McCabe started the last 30 games and ranked third on the team in rebounding (4.6) and fifth in scoring (7.8). The native of Sioux City, Iowa, netted double figures 10 times, including scoring a personal best 20 points three times. McCabe shot a team-best 45 percent (22-of-49) from 3-point range. The power forward played his best basketball down the stretch, averaging 11.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in Iowa’s four postseason games (Big Ten Tournament and NIT). McCabe tallied 20 points in Iowa’s first round NIT win over Dayton, making all nine field goal attempts; he is one of only two Big Ten players in 2012 to make all nine field goal tries.
May, who earned Academic All-Big Ten accolades for the second consecutive season, earned the team’s Academic Award for the second straight year. The native of Dubuque, Iowa, played in 33 games, including starting the first 21. May (6-5, 217) averaged 4.3 points and 2.4 rebounds. The co-captain equaled a personal best with 20 points in Iowa’s win over North Carolina A&T on Nov. 14.