INDIANAPOLIS – Gonzaga's
Corey Kispert was named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association District IX Player of the Year, and
Mark Few was selected the District Coach of the Year by the USBWA and the National Basketball Coaches Association (NABC). Kispert,
Jalen Suggs and
Drew Timme were tabbed All-District by the USBWA and NABC.
Kispert, the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, is a finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award for the second straight season. He currently leads the West Coast Conference in scoring at 19.3 points per game. He is shooting a phenomenal 55 percent from the field, which is second in the conference. The senior is second in the league making 2.72 three-pointers per game at a WCC-best 44.7 percentage, which is fifth in the nation. He is fourth in the conference shooting 65.2 percent inside-the-arc. Kispert is first in the WCC with an 89.4 free-throw percentage. He has scored in double-digits in all but one game this season, reaching 20 points 11 times. The Edmonds, Wash., native, boasts a 120-10 career record in games he's appeared in. He has the highest winning percentage in Div. 1 over the last 25 years for at least 100 appearances. He's scored 1,473 points in career, and is sixth in GU history with 247 three-pointers. Kispert received First Team All-WCC honors for the second straight season.
Suggs is a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. He leads the West Coast Conference in steals per game (2.00). The freshman is also fourth in the WCC in assists per game (4.48), fourth in field goal percentage (50.5 percent), and 11th in scoring (14.0). He was named the WCC Freshman of the Week 10 times this season. Suggs was named the league's Player of the Week after scoring a season-high 27 points in a win over then-ranked No. 3 Iowa. The West Saint Paul, Minn., native, has scored in double digits 16 times, dished out at least five assists in 12 games and made three or more steals in seven games.
Timme, a First Team All-Conference selection, is a finalist for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. He is second in the conference in scoring at 18.9 points per game, at a league-leading 65.4 percent from the field, which is fourth in the country. He is third in the WCC making 67.6 percent from inside-the-arc. His 7.12 rebounds per game is also third in the conference. He has started all 25 games for GU, scoring in double digits 24 times. Timme also has a team-high 11 20-point games this season, including a career-high 29 versus Virginia.
The USBWA teams are based on voting from its national membership of 900-plus. The USBWA has selected All-District teams since the 1956-57 season, its founding year. The NABC district teams were selected by NABC-member head coaches in NCAA Division I.
The USBWA will release its 2020-21 Men's All-America team tomorrow. From the 15 All-Americans, finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy (National Player of the Year) will be announced. In addition, finalists for the Wayman Tisdale Award (National Freshman Player of the Year) and the Henry Iba Award (National Coach of the Year) will be unveiled tomorrow. The Henry Iba Award will be announced on Friday, followed by the Wayman Tisdale Award next Tues., March 23. Finally, the 2021 Oscar Robertson Trophy will be announced in Indianapolis at the Final Four on Fri., April 2.
USBWA DISTRICT IX
(CA, OR, WA, HI, AZ, AK)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Corey Kispert, Gonzaga
COACH OF THE YEAR
Mark Few, Gonzaga
ALL-DISTRICT TEAM (10)
Oscar DaSilva, Stanford
Chris Duarte, Oregon
Corey Kispert, Gonzaga
Remy Martin, Arizona State
Matt Mitchell, San Diego State
Evan Mobley, USC
Eugene Omoruyi, Oregon
Colbey Ross, Pepperdine
Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga
Drew Timme, Gonzaga
NABC District 9
First Team
Corey Kispert - Gonzaga
Drew Timme - Gonzaga
Jalen Suggs - Gonzaga
Colbey Ross - Pepperdine
Alex Barcello - BYU
Second Team
JaQuori McLaughlin - UCSB
Eli Scott - Loyola Marymount
Jamaree Bouyea - San Francisco
Kessler Edwards - Pepperdine
Colin Welp - UC Irvine
Coach of the Year:
Mark Few, Gonzaga
