Vandals Hopson, Jefferson, Kloke honored on all-WAC
DENVER — The Western Athletic Conference announced its 2009-10 men’s basketball postseason honorees on Sunday and Idaho’s Mac Hopson and Marvin Jefferson were among those selected.
Hopson, a senior from Portland, Ore., and a former North Idaho College standout, was chosen as all-WAC honorable mention after averaging 15.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game for the Vandals in WAC play. He earned three double-doubles this season and led the team in scoring 14 times.
Hopson was a first-team all-WAC honoree last season and was chosen as a preseason first-team all-WAC honoree before the start of the 2009-10 year.
Jefferson, a senior from Merced, Calif., was chosen to the WAC all-defensive team for his first career postseason WAC honor. Jefferson’s 60 blocked shots this season are the most by a Vandal in 27 years and rank third in Idaho history. With two more, he’ll move into second all-time.
Earlier this year, Jefferson became just the third Idaho player to reach 100 career blocked shots, and had the school’s sixth-best single-game blocking performance when he swatted six against Boise State on Jan. 25.
Jefferson joins Tanoris Shepard as the second Vandal to earn the WAC’s all-defensive award. Shepard was honored after the 2006 season. Hopson’s honor is the third all-WAC award earned by a Vandal. Jordan Brooks was also a second-team honoree in 2008.
The awards are voted upon by the league’s coaches.
The WAC men’s tournament will be held Thursday through Saturday at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nev. ESPNU will carry two men’s quarterfinal games, the noon and 2:30 p.m. games on Thursday. ESPN2 will show a men’s semifinal game on Friday at 9 p.m. and the men’s championship game on Saturday at 7 p.m. All of the games not televised by ESPN will be available on WAC.tv.
ALL-WAC
First Team
Luke Babbitt, Nevada, F, 6-9, 225, So.
Jahmar Young, New Mexico State, G, 6-4, 180, Jr.
Adrian Oliver, San Jose State, G, 6-4, 210, Jr.
Jared Quayle, Utah State, G, 6-1, 180, Sr.
Tai Wesley, Utah State, F, 6-7, 240, Jr.
Second Team
Paul George, Fresno State, G/F, 6-8, 215, So.
Kyle Gibson, Louisiana Tech, G, 6-5, 205, Sr.
Magnum Rolle, Louisiana Tech, F/C, 6-11, 220, Sr.
Armon Johnson, Nevada, G, 6-3, 195, Jr.
Jonathan Gibson, New Mexico State, G, 6-1, 171, Sr.
Honorable Mention
Daequon Montreal, Boise State, F, 6-8, 220, Jr.
Sylvester Seay, Fresno State, F, 6-10, 235, Sr.
Roderick Flemings, Hawai‘i, F, 6-7, 210, Sr.
Mac Hopson, Idaho, G, 6-2, 185, Sr.
Wendell McKines, New Mexico State, F, 6-6, 224, Jr.
Player of the Year: Luke Babbitt, Nevada
Freshman of the Year: Greg Smith, Fresno State
Don Haskins Coach of the Year: Stew Morrill, Utah State
All-Defensive Team
Marvin Jefferson, Idaho, C, 6-10, 245, Sr.
Kyle Gibson, Louisiana Tech, G, 6-5, 205, Sr.
Magnum Rolle, Louisiana Tech, F/C, 6-11, 220, Sr.
Dario Hunt, Nevada, F, 6-8, 230, So.
Pooh Williams, Utah State, G/F, 6-3, 200, Jr.
All-Newcomer Team
Daequon Montreal, Boise State, F, 6-8, 220, Jr.
Greg Smith, Fresno State, C, 6-10, 250, Fr.
DeAndre Brown, Louisiana Tech, G, 5-11, 160, Jr.
Nate Bendall, Utah State, F, 6-9, 245, Jr.
Brian Green, Utah State, G, 6-1, 195, Jr.
n WOMEN
Idaho junior Rachele Kloke was voted to the all-WAC second team.
Kloke, a combo guard/post for Idaho, ranked fourth in WAC play with a 17.0 scoring average on 45.5 percent shooting. She also averaged 4.9 rebounds per game in conference play and led Idaho in scoring in 15 of the team’s 29 games.
Kloke scored more than 25 points three times this season and scored double-digit points in 14 of the team’s 16 conference games. Prior to this season, Kloke’s career scoring average was 6.4 points on 34.9 percent shooting.
ALL-WAC
Coach of the Year: Adrian Wiggins, Fresno State
Player of the Year: Shanavia Dowdell, Louisiana Tech
Defensive Player of the Year: Jaleesa Ross, Fresno State
Newcomer of the Year: Tahnee Robinson, Nevada
First-Team All-WAC
Shanavia Dowdell, Louisiana Tech
Tasha Harris, Boise State
Adrienne Johnson, Louisiana Tech
Tahnee Robinson, Nevada
Jaleesa Ross, Fresno State
Second-Team All-WAC
Crystal Boyd, New Mexico State
Rachele Kloke, Idaho
Shavon Moore, Nevada
Hayley Munro, Fresno State
Amber White, Utah State
All-Defensive Team
Alice Coddington, Utah State
Shanavia Dowdell, Louisiana Tech
Adrienne Johnson, Louisiana Tech
Shavon Moore, Nevada
Jaleesa Ross, Fresno State
All-Freshman Team
Banna Diop, Utah State
Lauren Lenhardt, Boise State
Julia Marshall, Boise State
Rosie Moult, Fresno State
Camila Rosen, New Mexico State