DENVER - The Western Athletic Conference men's basketball postseason award winners as selected by the league's nine head coaches were announced Sunday with University of Hawai`i Rainbow Warrior
Matt Gibson earning spots on the all-WAC second team and the all-WAC defensive team.
Gibson, a 6-5 guard from Oklahoma City, Okla., leads the team in scoring (17.0 ppg), assists (5.0 apg) and steals (1.9 spg). His 1.9 steals per game is tops in the WAC, while he ranks sixth in scoring and third in assists. He has scored in double-digits in all but one of the 24 games he has played, including a string of 22 straight.
Earlier this year, Gibson became the 13th player in school history to score 1000 career points and currently ranks in the school's all-time top 10 in more than a half dozen categories, including points, assists, steals, free throws and three-pointers.
It is the second time in his career that Gibson has garnered conference postseason honors. As a sophomore he was named to the 2005 all-WAC newcomer team following his first season at UH.
Utah State senior guard Jaycee Carroll was named the WAC Player of the Year, Nevada's Armon Johnson was picked as the Freshman of the Year, while Boise State's Greg Graham was tabbed the Don Haskins Coach of the Year.
Gibson and the rest of the 'Bows begin postseason play later this week when they face Boise State on Thursday, March 13 in the quarterfinals of the 2008 WAC Tournament in Las Cruces, N.M. Tipoff is noon MDT (8:00 a.m. HT).
2007-08 WAC Men’s Basketball Postseason Award Winners
First Team
Reggie Larry, Boise State, F, 6-6, 222, Sr., Newark, N.J. (College of Southern Idaho)
Kevin Bell, Fresno State, G, 5-10, 165, Sr., Los Angeles, Calif. (Fairfax HS)
Marcelus Kemp, Nevada, G, 6-5, 210, Sr., Seattle, Wash. (Garfield HS)
Justin Hawkins, New Mexico State, F, 6-7, 205, Sr., Anaheim, Calif. (Utah)
Jaycee Carroll, Utah State, G, 6-2, 175, Sr., Evanston, Wyo. (Evanston HS)
Second Team
Matt Nelson, Boise State, F, 6-9, 233, Sr., Issaquah, Wash. (Eastern Washington)
Matt Gibson, Hawai‘i, G, 6-5, 180, Sr., Oklahoma City, Okla. (Three Rivers CC)
Jordan Brooks, Idaho, F, 6-3, 195, Jr., Houston, Texas (Midland College)
JaVale McGee, Nevada, F, 6-11, 235, So., Flint, Mich. (Hales Franciscan HS)
Gary Wilkinson, Utah State, F, 6-9, 240, Jr., South Jordan, Utah (Salt Lake CC)
Player of the Year: Jaycee Carroll, Utah State
Freshman of the Year: Armon Johnson, Nevada, G, 6-3, 190, Reno, Nev. (Hug HS)
Don Haskins Coach of the Year: Greg Graham, Boise State
All-Newcomer Team
Jordan Brooks, Idaho, F, 6-3, 195, Jr., Houston, Texas (Midland College)
Armon Johnson, Nevada, G, 6-3, 190, Fr., Reno, Nev. (Hug HS)
Herb Pope, New Mexico State, F, 6-8, 235, Fr., Aliquippa, Pa. (Aliquippa HS)
C.J. Webster, San Jose State, C, 6-8, 255, So., Missouri City, Texas (Texas State)
Gary Wilkinson, Utah State, F, 6-9, 240, Jr., South Jordan, Utah (Salt Lake CC)
All-Defensive Team
Matt Bauscher, Boise State, G, 6-3, 205, Sr., Caldwell, Idaho (Spokane CC)
Matt Gibson, Hawai‘i, G, 6-5, 180, Sr., Oklahoma City, Okla. (Three Rivers CC)
Lyndale Burelson, Nevada, G, 6-3, 190, Jr., Seattle, Wash. (Franklin HS)
JaVale McGee, Nevada, F, 6-11, 235, So., Flint, Mich. (Hales Franciscan HS)
Fred Peete, New Mexico State, G, 6-4, 200, Sr., Memphis, Tenn. (Kansas State)
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