Submitted by Fox First at Ten on March 13th
Courtesy Gonzaga athletics
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Gonzaga University center Kelly Olynyk and head coach Mark Few received another honor Tuesday as Olynyk was named the District IX Player of the Year and Few the Coach of the Year as selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).
Olynyk has been one of the main cogs in Gonzaga's rise to No. 1 in the Associated Press and USA Today polls. He's averaging 17.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg and 1.2 blocks/game. He is also among the 15 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award and is one of 14 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, the latter presented by the USBWA.
Olynyk joins Dan Dickau (2002), Blake Stepp (2004) and Adam Morrison (2006) as former District IX Players of the Year.
Few is in his 14th season as head coach and in his 24th year overall on the Bulldog staff. Gonzaga's 31-2 record leads the nation and gave Gonzaga its first 30-win season. Few had led the Bulldogs to 29 wins twice. The Zags also went 16-0 in the West Coast Conference, the fourth undefeated conference season in Few's tenure.
DISTRICT IX (CA, OR, WA, HI, AZ, AK)
ALL-DISTRICT TEAMJahii Carson, Arizona StateAllen Crabbe, CaliforniaMatthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary'sJames Ennis, Long Beach StateCarrick Felix, Arizona StateSolomon Hill, ArizonaMark Lyons, ArizonaBrock Motum, Washington StateShabazz Muhammad, UCLAKelly Olynyk, Gonzaga
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kelly Olynyk, GonzagaCOACH OF THE YEAR: Mark Few, Gonzaga
