COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Zags dominate all-conference selections
• MEN
Mark Few was selected as the West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year, Corey Kispert was titled the Player of the Year, Jalen Suggs was named the Newcomer of the Year and Andrew Nembhard was tabbed the Sixth Man of the Year, league officials announced Tuesday.
Kispert, Suggs, Joel Ayayi and Drew Timme were selected First Team All-WCC. Nembhard was named to All-Conference Second Team. Suggs and Oumar Ballo were on the conference's All-Freshman Team. It's only the fourth time in league history that four players from the same team have been named first team, and the first time since GU's Brandon Clarke, Rui Hachimura, Zach Norvell Jr., and Josh Perkins earned First Team honors in 2018-19. The Zags’ Jeremy Eaton, Richie Frahm, Quentin Hall and Matt Santangelo were tabbed first team in 1998-99. Loyola Marymount had four WCC first team selections in 1987-88.
Few extended his own conference record, capturing his 14th Coach of the Year honor.
All five individual awards — along with the All-West Coast Conference Teams and the All-Freshman Team — were voted on by the league's 10 head coaches.
The West Coast Conference Championships begin Thursday in Las Vegas. The tournament, played inside the Orleans Arena, concludes with the championship game on March 9.
• WOMEN
Five members of the Gonzaga women’s basketball team were named to the 2021 All-West Coast Conference Team, the conference office announced Tuesday. Jenn Wirth was named Player of the Year, becoming the second-straight Zag and third in the last four seasons to earn the honor after Jill Townsend was selected in 2020 in addition to Jill Barta in 2018. Wirth was also selected to the All-WCC First Team.
Townsend was also selected to the First Team, the third All-WCC honor of her career, while junior Melody Kempton was selected as the first-ever Sixth Woman of the Year. Kempton, along with LeeAnne Wirth and Kayleigh Truong, were tabbed as All-WCC Honorable Mention. It’s the first career All-WCC honor for both Kempton and LeeAnne Wirth, while it is the second honor for Truong after earning All-Freshman honors a season ago.
Kempton, who earned her first career All-WCC nod, was selected as the first ever Sixth Woman of the Year as the award was introduced by the WCC this season. The Post Falls native was the first off the bench for the Zags and ranked fifth in scoring at 7.0 points per game and fourth in rebounding at 3.7 in 18.3 minutes played. She reached double-figures six times on the season with a season-high 13 coming against Eastern Michigan on Dec. 20.
2020-21 All-WEST COAST CONFERENCE Men’s Basketball
Player of the Year: Corey Kispert, Gonzaga
Coach of the Year: Mark Few, Gonzaga
Defensive Player of the Year: Matt Haarms, BYU
Newcomer of the Year: Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga
Sixth Man of the Year: Andrew Nembhard, Gonzaga
FIRST TEAM
Joel Ayayi, jr., G, Gonzaga; Alex Barcello, sr., G, BYU; Jamaree Bouyea, sr., G, San Francisco; Kessler Edwards, jr., F, Pepperdine; Corey Kispert, sr., F, Gonzaga; Colbey Ross, sr., G, Pepperdine; Eli Scott, sr., G/F, Loyola Marymount; Jalen Suggs, fr., G, Gonzaga; Drew Timme, so., F, Gonzaga; Josip Vrankic, sr., F, Santa Clara.
SECOND TEAM
Brandon Averette, sr., G, BYU; Matt Haarms, sr., F, BYU; Logan Johnson, jr., G, Saint Mary's; Andrew Nembhard, jr., G, Gonzaga; Khalil Shabazz, jr., G, San Francisco.
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Jalin Anderson, G, Loyola Marymount; Oumar Ballo, C, Gonzaga; Caleb Lohner, F, BYU; Mitchell Saxen, C, Saint Mary's; Jalen Suggs, G, Gonzaga.
HONORABLE MENTION
Ahmed Ali, sr., G, Portland; Jeremiah Bailey, sr., F, Pacific; Joey Calcaterra, jr., G, San Diego; Dameane Douglas, so., G/F, Loyola Marymount; Daniss Jenkins, so., G, Pacific; Keli Leaupepe, so., F, Loyola Marymount; Dzmitry Ryuny, jr., F, San Francisco; Jalen Williams, so., G, Santa Clara.
2020-21 All-West Coast Conference Women’s Basketball
Co-Player of the Year: Shaylee Gonzales, BYU; Jenn Wirth, Gonzaga
Coach of the Year: Jeff Judkins, BYU
Defensive Player of the Year: Valerie Higgins, Pacific
Newcomer of the Year: Ioanna Krimili, San Francisco
Sixth Woman of the Year: Melody Kempton, Gonzaga
FIRST TEAM
Haylee Andrews, jr., G, Portland; Jordyn Edwards, sr., G, San Diego; Alex Fowler, so., F, Portland; Shaylee Gonzales, so., G, BYU; Lauren Gustin, so., F, BYU; Paisley Harding, sr., G, BYU; Valerie Higgins, sr., G, Pacific; Ioanna Krimili, fr., G, San Francisco; Jill Townsend, sr., G, Gonzaga; Jenn Wirth, sr., G, Gonzaga.
SECOND TEAM
Lucie Hoskova, sr., G, San Francisco; Ariel Johnson, jr., G, Loyola Marymount; Myah Pace, sr., G, San Diego; Lindsey VanAllen, jr., G, Santa Clara; Merle Wiehl, sr., F, Santa Clara.
FRESHMAN TEAM
Erica Adams, G, Pacific; Ellie Croco, F, Saint Mary's; Ashley Hiraki, G, Santa Clara; Ioanna Krimili, G, San Francisco; Emme Shearer, G, Portland.
HONORABLE MENTION
Malia Bambrick, jr., G, Pepperdine; Tegan Graham, sr., G, BYU; Sara Hamson, sr., C, BYU; Ashlyn Herlihy, sr., F, Santa Clara; Madeline Holland, sr., G/F, Saint Mary's; Sydney Hunter, sr., G, San Diego; Melody Kempton, jr., F, Gonzaga; Brooklyn McDavid, sr., F, Pacific; Lianna Tillman, sr., G, Pacific; Kayleigh Truong, so., G, Gonzaga; Taycee Wedin, jr., G, Saint Mary's; LeeAnne Wirth, sr., F, Gonzaga.