Feb. 25, 2002

SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Gonzaga University guard Dan Dickau was named the Player of the Year and third-year head coach Mark Few the Coach of the Year as the West Coast Conference doled out its all-conference honors Monday.

Bulldogs Zach Gourde and Cory Violette were also named to the 10-member first team, and guard Blake Stepp received honorable mention.

Dickau became the second straight Bulldog to earn Player of the Year accolades, Casey Calvary getting the honor last season. Dickau is the fifth Bulldog to take the WCC's top honor, joining John Stockton (1984), Jeff Brown (1994), Bakari Hendrix (1998) and Calvary.

Dickau, who earned his second straight all-conference honor since transferring from the University of Washington, is averaging a league-best 20.6 ppg. He is averaging 4.9 assists/game, is shooting 45.3 percent from the field (168-for-371) and 47.7 percent from 3-ppoint range (102-for-214). He was also named to the All-District 14 first team earlier this month.

Gourde, a junior from Vancouver, Wash. and a high school teammate of Dickau's at Prairie High, is averaging 13.6 ppg and 6.9 rpg. Gourde was an honorable mention pick a year ago.

Violette, a sophomore from Boise, ID, is averaging 12.4 ppg and 8.1 rpg. He grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds earlier this season against Fresno State University, one of the top individual game efforts of the season in the NCAA Division I ranks.

Stepp, the WCC Freshman of the Year last season while earning honorable mention honors, is averaging 8.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 4.0 assists/game. He has split playing time between point guard and off guard this season, and is shooting 34.9 percent from 3-point range to team with Dickau to give the Bulldogs a solid 1-2 punch from the perimeter.

Few, who is 78-19 in his three seasons at Gonzaga, earned his second straight Coach of the Year accolade. The Bulldogs, 26-3 overall and WCC regular-season co-champions with Pepperdine University at 13-1, are ranked seventh in the country in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY/ESPN polls. Few has guided the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen each of his first two seasons, and was an assitant coach on Gonzaga's Elite Eight run in 1999.

2002 ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

Name/School           HT     P    YR     HometownKyle Bailey, SCU      6-2    G    So.    Fairbanks, AKBoomer Brazzle, PEP   6-6    F    Jr.    Portland, ORDan Dickau, GON**     6-0    G    Sr.    Vancouver, WAZach Gourde, GON      6-8    F    Jr.    Vancouver, WAAndre Laws, USD       6-0    G    Sr.    Anchorage, AKJimmy Miggins, PEP    6-6    F    Jr.    Riverside, CACoky Rochin, POR      6-8    F    Sr.    Puerto Penasco, Mex.Steve Ross, SCU       6-6   G/F   Sr.    Victoria, B.C.Darrell Tucker, USF** 6-8    F    Jr.    Oakland, CACory Violette, GON    6-8   F/C   So.    Boise, ID

HONORABLE MENTION
Gonzaga:   Blake Stepp, G, So.Pepperdine:  Glen McGowan, F, So, Terrance Johnson,G, Fr.,Devin Montgomery, G, JrPortland: Casey Frandsen, G, So.Saint Mary?s:  Chase Poole, F, So.San Diego:   Jason Blair, F, Jr
*Times on All-WCC First Team
COACH OF THE YEARMark FewGonzaga
PLAYER OF THE YEARDan Dickau, Gonzaga6-0, Senior, Guard
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEARCedric Suitt, Pepperdine6-11, Senior, Center
FRESHMAN OF THE YEARTerrance Johnson, Pepperdine6-5, Guard