Awards time

Never mind the ankle injury. That's healing.\nNow, Mike Davis can finally stop campaigning. It paid off. \nJared Jeffries' tender ankle should be sturdy enough for Friday's Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament game against Michigan State, and it should be strong enough for the 2001 Big Ten Freshman of the Year to carry his new hardware. \nTuesday -- after a season of boasting from Davis -- Jeffries was named the unanimous choice for the 2002 Big Ten Player of the Year, chosen by both the league coaches and the media. The last Hoosier to unanimously win the honor was Brian Evans in 1996. \n"It means a whole lot," Jeffries said. "It's like a culmination of what I've done as far as my first two years in college."\nJeffries, who was also the only unanimous first team All-Big Ten pick, had Hoosier company among Big Ten award winners. Senior guard Dane Fife was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year (selected by the coaches only), sharing the honor with Minnesota's Travarus Bennett. Junior guard Tom Coverdale was selected second team All-Big Ten for both the coaches and media.\nMinnesota's Rick Rickert was the Freshman of the Year, and Wisconsin's Bo Ryan was Coach of the Year.\nJeffries ended the Big Ten season ranked first in blocked shots, second in rebounds, sixth in steals and seventh in scoring. He was the only Big Ten player to appear in the top 10 of each of those categories. \nAll that coming after Jeffries played through both a thigh injury and his current ankle sprain. Jeffries missed only one game -- an IU loss to Wisconsin -- but his numbers dipped after the injury. \nHe averaged only 8.6 points per game in the five games and shot just 17 of 46 (37 percent) from the field. Before the injury, he averaged 18.1 points and shot better than 50 percent from the field. His final numbers were 15.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while shooting 46 percent from the field. \nJeffries practiced Tuesday, working in about half of a team scrimmage, and said his ankle feels as good as it has in a while. He received an MRI Monday and will have the results today, but both he and Davis expect the Hoosiers' top scorer to be in action Friday. \nEarly in the season, it appeared Jeffries had the Player of the Year award well in his grasp, but the injury and his late-season statistical collapse were thought to have taken that edge away. \nWith Jeffries hobbled, IU lost three games. Jeffries rebounded with 15 points in IU's win over Northwestern Saturday, a victory that claimed the Hoosiers a share of the conference crown. \nFor Davis, there was no question. \n"No one thought we'd be in first place, and he was the reason," Davis said. "It was hands down, no doubt that he was Player of the Year."\nJeffries was a third-team All-Big Ten pick last season and is the fifth Hoosier to win the Player of the Year award, joining A.J. Guyton (media in 2000), Evans (both in 1996), Calbert Cheaney (both in 1993) and Jay Edwards (media in 1989). The Bloomington North graduate is just the third player in Big Ten history to win Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons, joining Edwards and Ohio State's Jim Jackson. \nJeffries fought off late-season charges from Michigan State's Marcus Taylor and Illinois' Frank Williams, whom Jeffries said was unfairly criticized during the Fighting Illini's struggles, to win the award. Taylor, Williams, Jeffries, Ohio State's Brian Brown and Wisconsin's Kirk Penney were named first-team by both the media and coaches. \nCoverdale, Illinois' Brian Cook, Iowa's Reggie Evans and Minnesota's Rick Rickert were all named second team by both the media and coaches. Ohio State's Brent Darby was a second-team choice by the coaches, and Purdue's Willie Deane was selected second team by the media. \n"It's a big honor to be picked as one of the 10 best players," Coverdale said. \nDavis said he was disappointed Coverdale, who averaged more than 12 points per game and finished second in the league in assists, wasn't a first-team selection. \n"He's been one of the best guards in the Big Ten," Davis said. "He's been outstanding."\nDavis has given Fife the same billing he gave Jeffries and Coverdale all season, as well. Fife, who has been the Hoosiers' defensive stopper since he arrived in Bloomington, finished seventh in the league in steals and is only nine behind IU all-time steals leader Steve Alford. \nIt's business as usual for Fife, who joins Greg Graham (1993) as the only Hoosiers to win the award.\n"I've always been 'Mr. Defense,'" Fife said. "It's an honor, but that's not what we're here for. We're here to win the Big Ten Tournament and go on to the NCAAs and do damage there"