April 15, 2009

BERKELEY - Junior guard Jerome Randle, who averaged 18.3 ppg and 5.0 apg this season, took home the honor as California's Most Valuable Player for 2008-09 season. The award was given Wednesday night at the annual men's basketball banquet at the Claremont Resort and Spa.

Randle led Cal in scoring 20 times in 33 games, including a career-high 31 points at Arizona. A first-team All-Pac-10 selection, he finished conference play third in scoring and tied for first in assists. Randle earned Pac-10 Player of the Week honors after putting up 23 points to go with his game-high eight assists vs. Nevada.

The 5-10 point guard also set the school single-season record for three-pointers with 82, and his season three-point percentage of 46.3 percent ranks third on the school's single-season list.

Other awards that went to Randle included Best Free Throw Percentage (86.3 percent), the Jason Kidd Award (leading assists - per game). He was also honored as a team captain with Theo Robertson.

Additional awards presented at the banquet included:

Highest Field Goal Percentage - Jamal Boykin (53 percent)
The Darrall Imhoff Award (leading rebounder - per game) - Jamal Boykin (6.4 rpg)
Senior Award - Jordan Wilkes
Defensive Player of the Year - Jorge Gutierrez
Pete Newell Coach's Award - Patrick Christopher

Boykin, a 6-8 junior, led the Bears in rebounds all season with a total of 211 (6.4 rpg) and ranked in the conference's top 10 in rebounds. He recorded five of the team's seven double-doubles this season.

Wilkes ended his career at Cal leading the team in blocks this season with 14. One of the team's two seven-footers, he started all but one game this season.

Gutierrez led the team with 27 steals, a sign of his consistent hustle throughout the season. He was the first signing by head coach Mike Montgomery.

Christopher earned back-to-back Pac-10 Player of the Week honors after posting four consecutive 20-point performances to open conference play, and notched a career-best 29 points vs. USC.