April 9, 1998
Junior forward Michael Gill, who averaged 10.4 ppg and 3.4 rpg for the Golden Bears in 1997-98, was named Cal's Most Valuable Person at the team's annual awards banquet Thursday night at H's Lordships Restaurant in Berkeley.
Gill played played in only 19 games during the year, missing eight contests due to a severe abdominal injury and an infected molar. Still, he reached double figures in 10 games, scoring a career-high 18 points against both St. Mary's and USC. When Cal had only seven scholarship players available in November, the 6-6 transfer from Compton CC started at point guard for two games before returning to his more natural forward spot. Gill also received the team's Top Free Throw Shooter Award by making a team-high 78.0 percent of his shots from the foul line (32-41).
Other awards presented during the banquet were:
- Best Defensive Player - junior center Francisco Elson (25 blocks, 4.7 rpg)
- Most Improved Player - freshman forward Sean Lampley (8.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
- Most Inspirational Player - sophomore guard Robbie Jones (2.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 10 starts)
- Hustle Award - junior forward Justin Labagh and freshman guard Morgan Lingle
- Most Outstanding Student-Athlete - sophomore guard J.T. Stephens (3.387 GPA)
- Top Scorer - junior guard Geno Carlisle (17.9 ppg)
- Top Rebounder - senior forward Sean Marks (7.6 rpg)
- Top Steals - junior guard Thomas Kilgore (45 steals)
- Top Assists - sophomore guard Raymond King (89 assists)
Cal completed the season with a 12-15 overall mark and tied for fifth in the Pac-10 with an 8-10 record. Marks, the lone senior on the squad, was unable to attend the banquet because he was participating in an NBA pre-draft camp in Phoenix, but he did tape a speech before he left that was played for the crowd.
