Byron Davis YSU basketball’s MVP

YOUNGSTOWN — Senior guard Byron Davis was named the Youngstown State men’s basketball team’s Dom Rosselli Most Valuable Player, and four other Penguins earned honors at the program’s awards banquet Sunday at the Chestnut Room in Kilcawley Center.

Senior forward John Barber was named the 2007-08 Four Square Club Scholar-Athlete and earned the Leo Mogus Leading Rebounder Award. Senior forward Dwight Holmes was the recipient of the Tony Vivo Hustle Award. Freshman guard Vytas Sulskis was selected as the Penguin Club Most Improved Player and freshman Vance Cooksey earned the Assist Leader Award (2.9 per game) and the Free Throw Percentage Award (79.7 percent).

Davis was the team leader in points scored (465), points per game average (15.5), free throws made (71), field goals made (175), field-goal attempts (388), 3-point attempts (136) minutes played (1,063), double-figure scoring games (23) and 20-point games (seven). He was second on the team steals (33), free-throw attempts (103), 3-pointers made (44) and assists (71).

Barber led the team in rebounding with 210. He averaged 7.0 per contest, which ranked him fourth in the Horizon League. Barber was second on the team in scoring 407 with points.

Holmes scored 140 points, grabbed 74 rebounds, had 18 assists, 17 blocks and 11 steals on the year. He was 49-of-95 (51.6 percent) from the field and made 41-of-63 free throw attempts (65.1 percent).

Sulskis had a solid all-around year scoring 270 points while grabbing 131 rebounds. He finished fourth on the team in scoring and tied for second in rebounding. He led the team with a freshman record 46 3-pointers. He scored the most points by a freshman since Doug Underwood in 2001-02 and had the most rebounds by a freshman since Desmond Harrison and Dave Brown in 1997-98.

Cooksey dished out a team-high 88 assists for an average of 2.9 per contest. From the free throw line he converted 55-of-69 opportunities for a 79.7 percentage.