West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player Of The Year
The West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an annual award presented to the best player in the West Coast Conference. The award was first given in the 1985–86 season. The winner of the award is selected by the conference's ten head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own players.
History of the Award
The West Coast Conference was formed in 1952 and has been a dominant force in college basketball since then. The conference has produced some of the best players in the country, including Bill Russell, John Stockton, Steve Nash, and Damian Lillard.
The West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year award was first given during the 1985–86 season. The inaugural winner of the award was Loyola Marymount's Hank Gathers. Since then, the award has been won by some of the best players in the conference, including Adam Morrison, Kelly Olynyk, and Jock Landale.
Criteria for Selection
The West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is awarded to the player who has had the most outstanding season in the conference. The award is based on the player's overall performance, as well as their contribution to their team's success.
The winner of the award is selected by the conference's ten head coaches. The coaches are not allowed to vote for their own players. The award is presented at the end of the regular season, before the conference tournament.
List of Winners
The following is a list of the winners of the West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year award:
- 1986 – Hank Gathers, Loyola Marymount
- 1987 – Terrell Lowery, Loyola Marymount
- 1988 – Kenyon Jones, San Francisco
- 1989 – Jeff Fryer, Loyola Marymount
- 1990 – Hank Gathers, Loyola Marymount
- 1991 – Tom Lewis, Santa Clara
- 1992 – Doug Christie, Pepperdine
- 1993 – John Bryant, Santa Clara
- 1994 – Randy Bennett, Pepperdine
- 1995 – Steve Nash, Santa Clara
- 1996 – Steve Nash, Santa Clara
- 1997 – Danny Jones, San Francisco
- 1998 – Raúl López, Brigham Young
- 1999 – Casey Jacobsen, Stanford
- 2000 – Kenyon Jones, San Francisco
- 2001 – Dan Dickau, Gonzaga
- 2002 – Dan Dickau, Gonzaga
- 2003 – Blake Stepp, Gonzaga
- 2004 – Blake Stepp, Gonzaga
- 2005 – Ronny Turiaf, Gonzaga
- 2006 – Adam Morrison, Gonzaga
- 2007 – Derek Raivio, Gonzaga
- 2008 – Sean Denison, Santa Clara
- 2009 – Patty Mills, Saint Mary's
- 2010 – Omar Samhan, Saint Mary's
- 2011 – Mickey McConnell, Saint Mary's
- 2012 – Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's
- 2013 – Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga
- 2014 – Tyler Haws, Brigham Young
- 2015 – Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga
- 2016 – Kyle Collinsworth, Brigham Young
- 2017 – Jock Landale, Saint Mary's
- 2018 – Jock Landale, Saint Mary's
- 2019 – Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga
- 2020 – Filip Petrusev, Gonzaga
- 2021 – Corey Kispert, Gonzaga
Recent Winners
The West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year has been dominated by Gonzaga players in recent years. In fact, Gonzaga players have won the award in 12 of the last 18 seasons. Jock Landale of Saint Mary's won the award in 2017 and 2018, and Filip Petrusev of Gonzaga won the award in 2020. In 2021, Corey Kispert of Gonzaga was named the West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year.
Conclusion
The West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an important award in the college basketball world. It recognizes the best player in one of the top basketball conferences in the country. The award has been won by some of the most outstanding players in college basketball history, and it will continue to be a prestigious honor for years to come.
