Per WCCSports.com....
Player School Yr. Pos.
Matthew Dellavedova Saint Mary's So. G
Kevin Foster Santa Clara So. G
Steven Gray Gonzaga Sr. G
Rashad Green San Francisco Jr. G
Rob Jones Saint Mary's Jr. F
Mickey McConnell Saint Mary's Sr. G
Nemanja Mitrovic Portland Jr. G
Robert Sacre Gonzaga Jr. C
Luke Sikma Portland Sr. F
Michael Williams San Francisco So. G
Honorable mention: Perris Blackwell, USF; Elias Harris, GON; Lorne Jackson, PEP; Jared Stohl, POR; Vernon Teel, LMU; Mychel Thompson, PEP; Drew Viney, LMU
2011 ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE FRESHMAN TEAM
Player School Pos.
Cody Doolin San Francisco G
Sam Dower Gonzaga C
Stephen Holt Saint Mary's G
Anthony Ireland Loyola Marymount G
Evan Roquemore Santa Clara G
Player of the Year
Mickey McConnell, Saint Mary's
Defensive Player of the Year
Troy Payne, Santa Clara
Newcomer of the Year
Marquise Carter, Gonzaga
Coach of the Year
Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's
thoughts after the jump...
I never give them much thought when they are announced but this year's WCC awards caught my eye. Marquise Carter, who was literally struggling to see the court as of late January has been named WCC Newcomer of the year. I'm sure this decision will be questioned by fans around the conference, I can't help but think it is amazing. Carter had been written off by a majority of Gonzaga's fans as a junior college talent that simply didn't translate to big time division one basketball. During conference play, however, Carter exploded. When February began, Carter had made himself an indispensible part of the team and over the last six conference games, Marquise was one of the main reasons for Gonzaga's success as he averaged 13 points a game and rarely left the court. His rise to relevance coincided with Gonzaga's improved play down the stretch which is why he takes home the award.
As expected, Robert Sacre and Steven Gray were both rewarded for their solid seasons with a place on the all-conference team. Elias Harris was named honorable mention all-conference after being named the newcomer of the year last season for the Zags.
Another player who turned it on late for the Zags was freshman center Sam Dower. Sam has averaged nearly eight points a game this season and has especially been a force down the stretch. For his imapct, he was named to the WCC All-Freshman team. Dower has been in double figures five times in conference play and was a key factor in the Zags win over Saint Mary's which virtually gave them a share of the regular season crown. In that game, Dower scored 21 points on 7-8 shooting.
Congrats to Marquise, Steven, Rob, Elias, and Sam on their awards.