Provo • If not for freshman center Sara Hamson, BYU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams would have been shut out of the West Coast Conference’s major awards for the recently completed 2017-18 regular season.
Both programs placed third in their league races.
Hamson is the WCC Women’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Year, the conference announced Tuesday. Hamson, the sister of 2013-14 WCC DPOY winner Jennifer Hamson, is second in the NCAA with 4.3 blocked shots per game. BYU’s Kalani Purcell claimed the award last season.
On the men’s side, BYU junior Elijah Bryant and sophomore Yoeli Childs made the All-WCC first team, while sophomore TJ Haws earned honorable mention. BYU has placed at least two players on the first team since it joined the WCC for the 2011-12 season.
Bryant averaged 18.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals in league games. He was second in scoring in the WCC.
Childs, an All-Freshman performer last season, averaged 17.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. He was second in the WCC in rebounds and third in scoring. Haws averaged 11.9 points and 4.3 assists in WCC games.
Jock Landale of Saint Mary’s is the WCC Player of the Year, while Gonzaga’s Mark Few is Coach of the Year, Pacific’s Namdi Okonkwo is Defensive Player of the Year and Gonzaga’s Zach Norvell Jr. is Newcomer of the Year. League champion Gonzaga, No. 7 in the AP Top 25 poll, saw six players earn All-WCC honors.
BYU plays San Diego in a WCC tournament quarterfinal game at 2 p.m. MST Saturday in Las Vegas.
On the women’s side, BYU senior guard Cassie Broadhead Devashrayee, last season’s WCC Player of the Year, made the first team along with BYU sophomore guard Brenna Chase, who was on last year’s All-Freshman team.
Gonzaga’s Jill Barta is this year’s WCC Player of the Year after leading the Bulldogs to a 17-1 conference record and the regular-season championship.
Devashrayee is averaging 19.3 points and 4.2 assists per game. Chase is averaging 13.4 points and shooting 33 percent from 3-point range.
BYU’s women’s team plays San Diego in a WCC tournament quarterfinal game at 7 p.m. MST Thursday.
MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-WCC HONORS <br>Player of the Year • Jock Landale, Saint Mary’s <br>Coach of the Year • Mark Few, Gonzaga <br>Defensive Player of the Year • Namdi Okonkwo, Pacific <br>Newcomer of the Year • Zach Norvell Jr., Gonzaga <br>First team <br>Elijah Bryant, BYU, Jr. <br>Yoeli Childs, BYU, So. <br>KJ Feagin, Santa Clara, Jr. <br>Frankie Ferrari, San Francisco, Jr. <br>Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga, So. <br>Jock Landale, Saint Mary’s, Sr. <br>Emmett Naar, Saint Mary’s, Sr. <br>Josh Perkins, Gonzaga, Jr. <br>Isaiah Pineiro, San Diego, Jr. <br>Johnathan Williams, Gonzaga, Sr. <br>Second team <br>James Batemon, Loyola Marymount, Jr. <br>Calvin Hermanson, Saint Mary’s, Sr. <br>Killian Tillie, Gonzaga, So. <br>Jahlil Tripp, Pacific, So. <br>Isaiah Wright, San Diego, Jr. <br>Honorable mention • Olin Carter III, San Diego; Roberto Gallinat, Pacific; TJ Haws, BYU; Silas Melson, Gonzaga; Zach Norvell Jr., Gonzaga; Miles Reynolds, Pacific; Colbey Ross, Pepperdine; Marcus Shaver, Portland <br>All-Freshman team <br>Souley Boum, San Francisco <br>Zach Norvell Jr., Gonzaga <br>Colbey Ross, Pepperdine <br>Eli Scott, Loyola Marymount <br>Marcus Shaver, Portland <br>WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-WCC HONORS <br>Player of the Year • Jill Barta, Gonzaga <br>Coach of the Year • Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga <br>Defensive Player of the Year • Sara Hamson, BYU <br>Newcomer of the Year • Gabby Green, Loyola Marymount <br>First team <br>Jill Barta, Gonzaga, Jr. <br>Stella Beck, Saint Mary’s, Sr. <br>Brenna Chase, BYU, Soph. <br>Cassie Broadhead Devashrayee, BYU, Sr. <br>Gabby Green, Loyola Marymount, Jr. <br>GeAnna Luaulu-Summers, Pacific, Sr. <br>Megan McKay, Saint Mary’s, Jr. <br>Yasmine Robinson-Bacote, Pepperdine, Jr. <br>Anna Seilund, San Francisco, Sr. <br>Aubrey Ward-El, San Diego, Sr. <br>Second team <br>Maya Hood, San Diego, Sr. <br>Sydney Raggio, Saint Mary’s, Jr. <br>Michaela Rakova, San Francisco, Sr. <br>Zykera Rice, Gonzaga, Jr. <br>Chandler Smith, Gonzaga, Jr. <br>Honorable mention • Bree Alford, Loyola Marymount; Makenzie Cast, Loyola Marymount; Paige Fecske, Pepperdine; Jasmine Forcadilla, Saint Mary’s; Ameela Li, Pacific; Anaya Brooklyn McDavid, Pacific; Morgan McGwire, Santa Clara; Kalyn Simon, San Francisco; Darian Slaga, Portland; Julie Spencer, Portland <br>All-Freshman team <br>Sara Hamson, BYU <br>Maddy Holland, Saint Mary’s <br>Anaya Brooklyn McDavid, Pacific <br>Myah Pace, San Diego <br>Jenn Wirth, Gonzaga
