Northwestern University Athletics

Summer Awards

Wildcats Dish Out Summer Awards

7/31/2017 2:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball

EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern men's basketball completed summer workouts on Friday, July 28, and held its annual end-of-summer award ceremony Monday.
 
Head coach Chris Collins and his staff handed out three awards, including the "I Get Buckets" belt, the Swolly Grail and the "Pound The Rock" award.

I GET BUCKETS BELT: VIC LAW

The Award: The "I Get Buckets" belt is given to the player that captures the title for an on-going summer shooting competition. After a final test that was judged by the coaching staff, Vic Law received the IGB belt.

THE SWOLLY GRAIL: JORDAN ASH

The Award: In its fifth year, the Swolly Grail is bestowed upon the men's basketball player who accomplishes big things in the Sports Performance area. Jordan Ash exhibited the talent and fortitude throughout the spring and summer to claim the coveted cup. He maxed out with a 400-pound squat, 41-inch vertical jump, 3.00 3/4 sprint and 17 reps of 185 pounds in the bench press.

POUND THE ROCK: DERERK PARDON

The Award:  Since Collins arrived in April of 2013, the Wildcats have adopted the mantra of "Pound The Rock." The Wildcats have a rock in the locker room, and beneath it a quote from Jacob A. Riis. The quote reads, "When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before."

The winner of this award is someone who embodies that mantra day in and day out, both on and off the court. The winner of the third Pound the Rock award is Dererk Pardon.

The team will now take several weeks off before reconvening on Sept. 15 for the first practice of the fall. Northwestern will play is 2017-18 home games at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, while the Welsh-Ryan Arena renovation continues.

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