USBWA Most Courageous Award

USBWA Most Courageous Award
Awarded for Individuals associated with men's and women's college basketball who have demonstrated extraordinary courage in life
Country United States
Presented by United States Basketball Writers Association
First awarded 1978
Currently held by Men's: Andrew and Samantha Smith, Butler
Women's: Danielle O'Banion, Kent State
Official website Official site

The USBWA Most Courageous Awards are two annual basketball awards given by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) to figures associated with college basketball who, according to the organization, have "demonstrated extraordinary courage reflecting honor on the sport of amateur basketball."[1] Since 2012, the women's version of the award has been named the Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award in honor of the legendary Tennessee women's coach who received the award that year.[2]

History and selection

The award was first presented in 1978, and was not initially restricted exclusively to college basketball, although every winner since 1980 has been associated with the college game in some manner. Through 2009, a single award was presented; starting in 2010, separate awards have been given for men's and women's college basketball. More than one individual can receive an award, with the most recent example being in 2016, when the men's award was presented to late Butler player Andrew Smith and his widow Samantha. Traditionally, the winners receive their awards at the men's or women's Final Four (as applicable), although the awards can be presented earlier as circumstances dictate. The most notable exception was when the 2015 Summitt Award was presented to Lauren Hill at halftime of her first college game in November 2014, presumably so she would receive the award while alive (at the time, she was not expected to survive until the 2015 Final Four).[2]

Most honorees have been cited for courage as current or former college players. However, the list of recipients also includes coaches, a broadcaster, a referee, an athletic program staffer, and two college basketball programs.

Winners

All affiliations listed were current at the time the award was presented. The "Notes" column indicates the situation that led the USBWA to present the award.

Single award (1978–2009)

All winners during this period were associated with men's basketball unless noted otherwise.

Year Recipient Affiliation Role Notes
1978 Kratzer, JohnJohn Kratzer William & Mary Player Cancer patient
1979 Wanstrath, BillBill Wanstrath Batesville High School (Indiana) Player Played despite having only one arm
1980 Scaffidi, PhilPhil Scaffidi Niagara Player Cancer patient
1981 Alcorn, MarkMark Alcorn LSU Player Cancer patient
1982 Flowers, JohnJohn Flowers Bowling Green Player Overcame "tremendous personal and physical problems"
1983 Carr, RonnieRonnie Carr Western Carolina Player Overcame serious complications of injuries in an auto accident
1984 Warford, ReggieReggie Warford Pittsburgh Assistant coach Rescued an elderly couple from a home fire
1985 Schlitt, DennisDennis Schlitt Army Player Overcame a life-threatening illness
1986 Wenzel, BobBob Wenzel Jacksonville Head coach Recovered from emergency brain aneurysm surgery
1987 Rivers, DavidDavid Rivers Notre Dame Player Recovered from serious injuries in an auto accident
1988 Kerr, SteveSteve Kerr Arizona Player Overcame the murder of his father during his college career
1989 Turner, LandonLandon Turner Indiana Former player Played wheelchair basketball after being paralyzed in an auto accident
1990 Taylor, DonaldDonald Taylor UMass Player Went from homelessness to a Division I scholarship
1991 Murdock, EricEric Murdock Providence Player Returned from an irregular heartbeat and many injuries
1992 Pavia, PetePete Pavia N/A Referee Officiated college games while battling cancer for 13 years
1993 Valvano, JimJim Valvano ESPN Broadcaster and former coach (Iona, NC State) Battled bone cancer
1994 Antigua, OrlandoOrlando Antigua Pittsburgh Player Survived childhood in a difficult New York City neighborhood, including being shot in the head
1995 Richardson, NolanNolan Richardson Arkansas Head coach Overcame racial prejudice and the cancer death of his daughter during his career
1996 Carson, CoriCori Carson Marymount (women's) Player Returned to play a year after receiving a liver transplant
1997 Flanigan, WesWes Flanigan Auburn Player Recovered from surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his arm
1998 Kabba, JackyJacky Kabba Seton Hall Player Went from war-torn Liberia to Division I basketball
1999 Shannon, EddieEddie Shannon Florida Player Played despite having only one eye since a middle school accident
2000 Binam, NathanNathan Binam Oral Roberts Player Started despite losing the index finger of his shooting hand in an auto accident
2001 Entire program Oklahoma State Program Dealt with the aftermath of a plane crash that killed 10 team members
2002 Bradley, JamelJamel Bradley South Carolina Player Played successfully despite 80% hearing loss
2003 DuBose, RaynaRayna DuBose Virginia Tech (women's) Former player Survived an infection that led to the amputation of parts of all four limbs after her freshman season
2004 Schwab, TreyTrey Schwab Marquette Assistant coach Coached despite suffering from a lung disease that eventually required a double lung transplant
2005 Dykstra, GrantGrant Dykstra Western Washington Player Played successfully despite having full use of only one arm
2006 Sutton, MikeMike Sutton Tennessee Tech Head coach Continued to coach despite Guillain–Barré syndrome
2007 Entire program Duquesne Program Dealt with the aftermath of a summer 2006 shooting that left five players injured
2008 Porter, JoshJosh Porter LSU–Shreveport Player Returned from a major neck injury suffered during a November 2006 game
2009 Davis, KelvinKelvin Davis San Diego State Player Played while undergoing treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma

Men's award (2010–present)

Year Recipient School Role Notes
2010 Rose, DaveDave Rose BYU Head coach Returned from a battle with pancreatic cancer
2011 Kazemi, ArsalanArsalan Kazemi Rice Player First Iranian-born Division I player, despite often-troubled U.S.–Iran relations
2012 James, BernardBernard James[3] Florida State Player Went from high school dropout to military veteran to Division I player
2013 Kelley, DickDick Kelley[4] Boston College Sports information director Continued to work despite suffering from ALS
2014 Jok, DauDau Jok[5]
Dan Peters 		Penn
Akron 		Player
Director of basketball operations 		Jok: Went from war-torn South Sudan to the Ivy League
Peters: Worked while battling pancreatic cancer
2015 Hatch, AustinAustin Hatch[6] Michigan Player Survivor of two plane crashes that killed the rest of his immediate family, the second of which left him in a coma for two months
2016 Andrew & Samantha Smith[7] Butler Former player and his widow Battled what proved to be fatal non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia, and publicized need for bone marrow donors

Women's award (2010–present)

Year Recipient School Role Notes
2010 Steward, TiffaraTiffara Steward Farmingdale State Player Believed to be the smallest college player ever (4'6"/1.37 m); survived premature birth, blind in one eye, more than 50% hearing loss, severe scoliosis
2011 Abdul-Qaadir, BilqisBilqis Abdul-Qaadir Memphis Player Believed to be the first Division I women's player to wear Islamic coverings while playing
2012 Summitt, PatPat Summitt[3] Tennessee Head coach Publicly announced her diagnosis with early-onset dementia, and continued to coach in the 2011–12 season
2013 Francis, BeckieBeckie Francis[4] Oakland Head coach Publicly acknowledged being a victim of child sexual abuse by her father
2014 Moore, KirstenKirsten Moore[5] Westmont Head coach Dealt with the unexpected death of her husband shortly before giving birth
2015 Hill, LaurenLauren Hill[2] Mount St. Joseph Player Played while battling what proved to be a fatal brain tumor
2016 O'Banion, DanielleDanielle O'Banion[7] Kent State Head coach Survivor of stage 2 lymphoma

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ "Most Courageous Award". United States Basketball Writers Association. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mount St. Joseph's Hill to Be Honored With Summitt Courage Award" (Press release). United States Basketball Writers Association. October 23, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  3. 1 2 O'Neil, Dana (March 2012). "Most Courageous honors go to Summitt, Florida State's James". The Tipoff. United States Basketball Writers Association. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Francis, Kelley to Receive USBWA's Most Courageous Awards" (Press release). United States Basketball Writers Association. February 21, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Three Chosen to Receive USBWA's Most Courageous Awards" (Press release). United States Basketball Writers Association. February 20, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Michigan's Hatch to Receive USBWA's Most Courageous Award" (Press release). United States Basketball Writers Association. February 16, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "USBWA Names Most Courageous Winners" (Press release). United States Basketball Writers Association. February 15, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
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