Few, Fortier, Barta among Zags' WCC award winners
SAN BRUNO, Calif. — Gonzaga’s Mark Few was selected as the West Coast Conference Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year, and Zach Norvell Jr. was named the Newcomer of the Year league officials announced Tuesday.
Zags Rui Hachimura, Josh Perkins and Johnathan Williams were tabbed First Team All-WCC. Killian Tillie was named to the league’s second team, while Silas Melson was listed as honorable mention. Norvell Jr. was also on the conference’s All-Freshman Team and honorable mention list.
Few extended his own conference record, capturing his 12th Coach of the Year honor.
Norvell Jr. is the ninth Gonzaga player to be named either Freshman of the Year or Newcomer of the Year.
Williams was named All-WCC First Team for the second straight season.
Perkins was honorable mention All-WCC last season.
Gonzaga’s Jill Barta was named the women’s Player of the Year, the first Zag to be honored since Taelor Karr in 2013, along with being a first-team selection.
Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier was selected as the West Coast Conference Coach of the Year for the third time.
Gonzaga juniors Chandler Smith and Zykera Rice were both selected to the second team. Jenn Wirth was tabbed to the five-person All-Freshman Team.
Barta was selected to the first team for the third time. She joins Heather Bowman and Courtney Vandersloot as the only Zags to do that in program history. Fortier is the first coach in conference history to be selected coach of the year three times in their first four seasons.
The teams were voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches.
The West Coast Conference Championships begin Thursday (women) and Friday (men) at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
MEN
2017-18 All-WCC
Player of the Year: Jock Landale, Saint Mary’s
Coach of the Year: Mark Few, Gonzaga
Defensive Player of the Year: Namdi Okonkwo, Pacific
Newcomer of the Year: Zach Norvell Jr., Gonzaga
FIRST TEAM — Elijah Bryant, jr., G, BYU; Yoeli Childs, so. F, BYU, KJ Feagin, jr. G, Santa Clara; Frankie Ferrari, jr., G, San Francisco; Rui Hachimura, so., F, Gonzaga; Jock Landale, sr., C, Saint Mary’s; Emmett Naar, sr., G, Saint Mary’s; Josh Perkins, jr., G, Gonzaga; Isaiah Pineiro, jr., F, San Diego; Johnathan Williams, sr., F, Gonzaga.
SECOND TEAM — James Batemon, jr., G, Loyola Marymount; Calvin Hermanson, sr., F, Saint Mary’s; Killian Tillie, so., F, Gonzaga; Jahlil Tripp, so, G/F, Pacific; Isaiah Wright, jr., G, San Diego.
FRESHMAN TEAM — Souley Boum, G, San Francisco; Zach Norvell Jr., G, Gonzaga; Colbey Ross, G, Pepperdine; Eli Scott, F, Loyola Marymount; Marcus Shaver, G, Portland.
HONORABLE MENTION — Olin Carter III, San Diego; Roberto Gallinat, Pacific; TJ Haws, BYU; Silas Melson, Gonzaga; Zach Norvell Jr., Gonzaga; Miles Reynolds, Pacific; Colbey Ross, Pepperdine; Marcus Shaver, Portland.
WOMEN
2017-18 All-WCC
Player of the Year: Jill Barta, Gonzaga
Coach of the Year: Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga
Defensive Player of the Year: Sara Hamson, BYU
Newcomer of the Year: Gabby Green, Loyola Marymount
FIRST TEAM — Jill Barta, jr., F, Gonzaga; Stella Beck, sr., G, Saint Mary’s; Brenna Chase, so., G, BYU; Cassie Broadhead-Devashrayee, sr., G, BYU; Gabby Green, jr., G, Loyola Marymount; GeAnna Luaulu-Summers, sr., G, Pacific; Megan McKay, jr., F, Saint Mary’s; Yasmine Robinson-Bacote, jr., F, Pepperdine; Anna Seilund, sr., G, San Francisco; Aubrey Ward-El, sr., G, San Diego.
SECOND TEAM —Maya Hood, sr., G, San Diego; Sydney Raggio, jr., F, Saint Mary’s; Michaela Rakova, sr., G, San Francisco; Zykera Rice, jr., F, Gonzaga; Chandler Smith, jr., G, Gonzaga.
HONORABLE MENTION — Bree Alford, Loyola Marymount; Makenzie Cast, Loyola Marymount; Paige Fecske, Pepperdine, Jasmine Forcadilla, Saint Mary’s; Ameela Li, Pacific; Anaya Brooklyn McDavid, Pacific; Morgan McGwire, Santa Clara; Kalyn Simon, San Francisco; Darian Slaga, Portland; Julie Spencer, Portland.
ALL-FRESHMAN — Sara Hamson, C, BYU; Maddy Holland, G, Saint Mary’s; Anaya Brooklyn McDavid, G, Pacific; Myah Pace, G, San Diego; Jenn Wirth, F, Gonzaga.