It’s for the UNM men’s basketball team that the month of March has become even more momentous.
Two Lobos racked up two more national awards this week.
Monday, Darington Hobson, the 2009-10 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, was named third-team All-American by the Associated Press. He becomes the seventh player in UNM history to garner the All-American honor, joining the ranks of Lobos like Kenny Thomas, Michael Cooper and Danny Granger.
The news was followed Tuesday with the announcement that senior Roman Martinez was awarded the Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award. Martinez beat out five other nominees — Derrick Roland (Texas A&M), Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State), Matt Bouldin (Gonzaga) and Lazar Hayward (Marquette).
Both Hobson and Martinez were gracious“I don’t play for the awards,” Hobson said. “I play for my team, our coaches and to win. I didn’t even worry about making the All-American team, and it really didn’t matter to me.”
Martinez showed a little more emotion than Hobson.
“It’s truly, truly an honor to accept this award,” Martinez said. “It’s a privilege to be even in the same league and the same category as these other players. I am ecstatic and I was looking down the list, you know, Tim Duncan and Shane Battier won this award. Eduardo Najera won this award, and he was won of my idols growing up. It’s just an amazing honor to receive this award and to be in the same class as these other seniors selected.”
Still, the Chip Hilton is not exactly the Naismith Award — which goes to the best college basketball player in the country annually — because Martinez had only heard about the award a week ago.
The award honors a Division I men’s graduating senior who demonstrates outstanding character, leadership and great basketball talent — the same qualities exhibited in the 24-book Chip Hilton Sports Series. The book series, which was authored by Coach Clair Bee, enjoyed success in the 1940s through the 1960s. The books were re-released by Randy and Cindy Farley in 1999.
The Chip Hilton Award has been handed out since 1997. The selection committee is comprised of big-time names in the college basketball world, such as ESPN analyst Dick Vitale, sports writer Bob Hammel, former CBS announcer Billy Packer, Big 12 Conference commissioner Dan Beebe, ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, Providence Athletics Director Dave Gavitt and legendary coach Bob Knight, along with his son and Texas Tech head coach Pat Knight.
Talk about a guy with character.
Martinez studied for class on the flight home from San Jose, Calif., even after the Lobos were bounced from the second round of the NCAA tournament. As it stands, Martinez holds a 3.48 GPA and will graduate in May with a degree in business administration.
“It’s all the little things, doing homework when all the other guys are staying up and watching movies,” Martinez said. “You just think back and all of the bed checks, making sure all the guys are going to class and making sure they stay out of trouble.”
Martinez said head coach Steve Alford has hammered home the importance of being a well-rounded person in the Lobo program.
“It’s a part of UNM, of our program and the way Coach Steve Alford wants to do things,” Martinez said. “He has set up a culture that it’s a privilege to play here. Everything that happens to us is an honor to be here in this program. Not many kids get to have a full scholarship, and I am lucky to be here.”
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox