[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 52 (Wednesday, April 21, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E588]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNITION OF LAWRENCE ROBERTS

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                   HON. CHARLES W. ``CHIP'' PICKERING

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 21, 2004

  Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, I would like to salute a student at 
Mississippi State University who has demonstrated athletic excellence 
this year and distinguished himself in the ranks of college basketball 
not only in my state, but across the country.
  Mississippi State's SEC Player of the Year, Lawrence Roberts, is the 
first Bulldog player since Rickey Brown (1979-80) to average a double-
double for an entire season. Roberts completed the 2003-04 campaign as 
the SEC's No. 7 scorer (16.9 points per game) and second-leading 
rebounder (10.1 rebounds per game). Roberts also finished the year 
ranked fifth in the league in field-goal percentage (51.9%). With an 
SEC-leading 16 double-doubles on the season, the 6-foot-9, 235-pound 
Roberts ranks fourth nationally among active NCAA Division I players 
with 38 career double-doubles. The former University of Baylor transfer 
and Houston, Texas native has averaged 16.3 points (1,400 career 
points) and 9.5 rebounds (821 career rebounds) per contest during his 
three-year, 86-game collegiate career.
  This season, Roberts helped lead Associated Press SEC Coach of the 
Year Rick Stansbury's eighth-ranked Bulldogs to a 26-4 overall record 
and league-best 14-2 SEC mark en route to claiming the school's first 
outright SEC regular-season championship since 1962-63. This year's 
State squad also made school history by appearing in a fourth 
consecutive postseason tournament and earning a third straight NCAA 
Tournament berth.
  Roberts' teamwork benefited the entire Bulldogs squad. But his skill 
on the court distinguished him individually, and he has been recognized 
for his achievements. The accolades continue to roll in.
  In addition to being named the SEC Player of the Year, Roberts is the 
first Associated Press All-American First Team selection from a 
Mississippi Division I school since fellow Bulldog Bailey Howell in 
1958-59. In addition to earning a slot on the gold standard of 
postseason teams, Roberts has also garnered first-team all-America 
recognition this season by both the National Association of Basketball 
Coaches (NABC) and United States Basketball Writers Association 
(USBWA).
  He adds first-team national honors by the Sports Illustrated.com and 
College Insider.com Web sites as well as by the Adolph F. Rupp Award 
committee. Roberts has also collected second-team all-America accolades 
by the Basketball Times publication and ESPN.com.
  Roberts has been named a top five finalist for the 28th Annual John 
R. Wooden Award along with Stanford's Josh Childress, Chris Duhon of 
Duke, Jameer Nelson of Saint Joseph's, and Connecticut's Emeka Okafor. 
Roberts becomes Mississippi State's first-ever Wooden Award All-
American, which dates back to the 1976-77 hoops campaign.
  Bulldog fans will wait till mid-June to see whether Roberts will 
return for his senior year or enter the NBA draft. This young man has 
time to make that decision and consider his opportunities, but fans in 
Mississippi will be watching him either way, either on the collegiate 
court or in the professional arena.

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