Very surprised by the WAC selection, which was released today. I'm sure many of you have plenty to say so I will keep my remarks short.
First off, I feel bad for Wendell McKines. I'm not sure but I think he wanted to win the Award his senior year, not to speak to the fact that he actually deserved to win it because his numbers were better. Not surprised by Burton's selection though. Although the only argument you can make for him was the fact that Nevada swept NMSU and won the league outright. An argument could certainly be made for Daniel Mullings as Freshman of the Year, yet Appleby was the better scorer and these things are obviously stat driven. I'm happy to see Hernst Laroche get some respect his senior year.
Kevin Olekaibe and Raheem Appleby both ahead of Nevada's Malik Story on the second team is a crime.
Trevor Gaskins from La. Tech must have left quite an impression on the WAC coaches or whomever votes for them. Gaskins is on both the honorable mention and all defensive team. Apparently ranking 11th in free throw percentage and fourth in 3 point percentage impressed coaches. He was 15th in steals but neither Laroche nor Mullings (1 and 2 respectively) got on the All defense team.
2011-12 WAC Men’s Basketball Postseason Award Winners
All-Conference
First Team
Vander Joaquim, Hawai‘i, C, 6-10, Jr., Luanda, Angola (College of Eastern Utah)
Deonte Burton, Nevada, G, 6-1, So., Los Angeles, Calif. (Compton Centenial HS)
Olek Czyz, Nevada, F, 6-7, Sr., Gdynia, Poland (Duke)
Wendell McKines, New Mexico State, F, 6-6, Sr., Oakland, Calif. (Richmond HS)
Preston Medlin, Utah State, G, 6-4, So., Carrollton, Texas (Hebron HS)
Second Team
Kevin Olekaibe, Fresno State, G, 6-2, So., Las Vegas, Nev. (Cimarron-Memorial HS)
Kyle Barone, Idaho, C, 6-10, Jr., Garden Grove, Calif. (Pacifica HS)
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech, G, 6-2, Fr., Jacksonville, Ark. (Jacksonville HS)
Dario Hunt, Nevada, F, 6-8, Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo. (Charis Prep School)
Hernst Laroche, New Mexico State, G, 6-1, Sr., Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Vanier College)
Honorable Mention
Zane Johnson, Hawai‘i, G, 6-6, Sr., Phoenix, Ariz. (Arizona)
Deremy Geiger, Idaho, G, 5-11, Sr., Las Vegas, Nev. (Grayson County College)
Trevor Gaskins, Louisiana Tech, G, 6-2, Sr., Alpharetta, Ga. (Ole Miss)
Malik Story, Nevada, G, 6-5, Jr., Pasadena, Calif. (Indiana)
Hamidu Rahman, New Mexico State, C, 6-11, Sr., Somerset, N.J. (American Christian HS)
Brockeith Pane, Utah State, G, 6-1, Sr., Dallas, Texas (Midland JC)
Player of the Year: Deonte Burton, So., G, Nevada
Freshman of the Year: Raheem Appleby, G, Louisiana Tech
Don Haskins Coach of the Year: David Carter, Nevada
All-Defensive Team
Vander Joaquim, Hawai‘i, C, 6-10, Jr., Luanda, Angola (College of Eastern Utah)
Landon Tatum, Idaho, G, 5-11, Sr., San Antonio, Texas (South Plains College)
Trevor Gaskins, Louisiana Tech, G, 6-2, Sr., Alpharetta, Ga. (Ole Miss)
Jerry Evans Jr, Nevada, G, 6-8, So., Lawndale, Calif. (Leuzinger HS)
Dario Hunt, Nevada, F, 6-8, Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo. (Charis Prep School)
All-Newcomer Team
Djim Bandoumel, Idaho, F, 6-7, Sr., Quebec City, Quebec, Canada (Monroe College)
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech, G, 6-2, Fr., Jacksonville, Ark. (Jacksonville HS)
Daniel Mullings, New Mexico State, G, 6-2, Fr., Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Laurier)
James Kinney, San Jose State, G, 6-2, Jr., Champaign, Ill. (Eastern Utah College, Ohio U.)
Kyisean Reed, Utah State, F, 6-6, Jr., Palmdale, Calif. (Antelope Valley JC)
7 comments:
McKines wasn't like by most WAC coaches and a lot of it has to do with being arrested,rapping,antics on the court and twitter. While POY is suppose to be about your achievements on the court coaches are human and humans will consider character and likeability.
The lack of respect from the WAC coaches will only motivate this team. I see a tournament championship on the horizon.
Let's go NMSU, bring home the title, and show the rest of those busta's what we think!
Mckines! We would not be anywhere near it without you. You are a champion. BRING HOME THE TROPHY!
GO AGGS!
McKines had the better stats, leading the league in rebounding and scoring.
But that's the way these things happen. The WAC tourney is a great place to prove that he IS the WAC player of the year.
The Aggies winning the tourney would help to prove it. Wen and the rest of the team should be on a mission, for at least a couple of reasons.
Wendell should have won Player of the Year. But there is something to the notion of giving the award to the best player on the best team, which was clearly Burton and Nevada, respectively.
I am hopeful Wendell and the Aggies will use this snub as motivation in the tournament. The thing that scares me about the Aggies is that they are fully capable of losing to anybody in the WAC, or beating anybody. The two halves at Fresno State were examples of the two Aggie teams. The team we saw in the second half could easily win the WAC.
Who cares about the awards. Let's get it done Aggies, win the WAC, and let's make some big noise in the Big Dance............
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