Fizer, Tinsley Share Most Valuable Player Award

AMES, Iowa - Juniors Marcus Fizer and Jamaal Tinsley received the Ralph A. Olsen Most Valuable Player Award at the 1999-2000 Iowa State men's basketball banquet Saturday night. A soldout crowd gathered at James H. Hilton Coliseum to honor the achievements of head coach Larry Eustachy's Cyclone squad, which won the Big 12 Conference regular-season and tournament championships and earned the school's first Elite Eight berth since 1944 en route to a Division I-best 32 victories.

Fizer, a consensus first-team All-American, led the Big 12 Conference in scoring with a 22.8 ppg overall average. The Big 12 Conference Player of the Year shot 50 percent or better in 27 games and finished the season shooting 58.2 percent from the field. Fizer scored a Big 12 Tournament record 38 points in the Cyclones' first-round victory over Baylor. The Arcadia, La., native stands fifth on the ISU all-time scoring chart with 1,830 career points and set a school single-season record for scoring with 844 points during the 1999-2000 campaign.

Tinsley was voted the Big 12 Conference's Newcomer of the Year after averaging 11.4 points, 7.1 assists and 2.6 steals in league play. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native averaged 17.5 points and 6.5 assists in NCAA Tournament action, earning NCAA Midwest All-Region accolades. Tinsley tallied the Big 12 Conference's first triple-double in league play with 12 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds vs. Missouri. Tinsley set Iowa State single-season school records in assists (244) and steals (219) and ranks among the school's career leaders in steals, assists and blocks.

In addition to receiving the team's Most Valuable Player honor, Fizer also received the Outstanding Offensive Player and Outstanding Rebounder Awards. Tinsley was presented with the Most Assists Award.

Seniors Stevie Johnson and Michael Nurse shared the Louis Menze Award, which is presented to a senior basketball player who has brought honor and distinction to both himself and the university by his conduct on and off the playing floor.

Johnson shot 66.3 percent from the field over 35 games, setting a Big 12 Conference record for highest field goal percentage. The Beaumont, Miss., native hit 71.0 percent of his field goal attempts in conference play, establishing another Big 12 record. Johnson started the last 26 games of the season and tied Fred Hoiberg and Julius Michalik's school record for games played with 126. Johnson tied his career high of 21 points in Iowa State's second-round NCAA Tournament victory over Auburn. Johnson also was selected as Iowa State's Most Improved Player for the 1999-2000 season.

Nurse, who moved to off guard for his senior season, averaged 15.4 points over his last five games, shooting 53.2 percent (25-of-47) from the field. The Teaneck, N.J., native connected on 99 three-point goals during the season, which was second on ISU's all-time single-season chart. Nurse played all 50 minutes in Iowa State's double-overtime game at Oklahoma, which was a Big 12 and school single-game mark. Nurse played 1,305 minutes during the 1999-2000 season, setting Iowa State and Big 12 records for minutes played.

Nurse and junior Kantrail Horton received the team's Outstanding Defensive Player Award. The Covington, Ga., native averaged 34.8 minutes per game in 35 starts. Horton held Oklahoma State's leading scorer Desmond Mason to eight points, helping the Cyclones to their first conference title in 55 years. Horton, who shot 78.0 percent from the line, was given the team's Free Throw Award. Horton connected on 71 of his 91 attempts.

Freshmen walk-ons Brad Davis from Knoxville, Justin Fries of Sioux Falls, S.D., Brandon Nicol of Graettinger and Clint Varley of Menlo, as well as junior Thomas Watkins of Phoenix, Ariz., and freshman Kyle Brumm of Crown Point, Ind., all shared this year's Mr. Hustle Award. These six individuals formed the "white squad," which learned and executed the opponents' offensive schemes during Iowa State's practices.

Davis, Fries, Nicol and junior Paul Shirley received Iowa State athletic council academic awards. Shirley, a native of Meriden, Kan., was a GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America District VII and first-team academic all-Big 12 Conference selection.

Chad Curtis and Brian Hagen received senior manager awards. A native of Ames, Curtis completed his second season as a manager. Hagen, a native of Joice, coordinated the team's film exchange in his fourth season as a manager.

1999-2000 Iowa State Men's Basketball Award Winners

Free-Throw Award: Kantrail Horton
Most Assists Award: Jamaal Tinsley
Outstanding Offensive Player Award: Marcus Fizer
Outstanding Defensive Player Award: Kantrail Horton, Michael Nurse
Outstanding Rebounder Award: Marcus Fizer
Most Improved Player Award: Stevie Johnson
Mr. Hustle Award: Kyle Brumm, Brad Davis, Justin Fries, Brandon Nicol, Clint Varley, Thomas Watkins
Ralph A. Olsen Most Valuable Player Award: Marcus Fizer, Jamaal Tinsley
Louis E. Menze Award: Stevie Johnson, Michael Nurse
Academic Awards: Brad Davis, Justin Fries, Brandon Nicol, Paul Shirley
Senior Manager Award: Chad Curtis, Brian Hagen