Hawaii basketball senior wing Noah Allen earned top honors at the Rainbow Warriors’ postseason banquet at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Tuesday night, receiving the Art Woolaway Most Outstanding Player award from second-year coach Eran Ganot.
Allen, a former backup at UCLA, was instrumental in helping UH to a 14-16 overall record in 2016-17, including 8-8 for fifth place in the Big West Conference. He was a All-BWC first-team selection — UH’s sixth in five years — after averaging a league-high 18.5 points in conference play, and team highs of 15.7 points, 5.8 rebounds for the full season. The graduate transfer Allen was the fifth ’Bow to compile four 30-point games in one year, a list that includes another UCLA transplant in Gavin Smith.
The Ah Chew Goo Most Inspirational Award went to freshman guard Leland Green, an impact player out of Redondo Union (Calif.) High who hit a game-winning 3-pointer against Cal State Northridge.
Sophomore guard Sheriff Drammeh was presented the Bob Nash Hustle Award, while another sophomore, Zach Buscher, received the team’s community service award.
Junior forward Gibson Johnson, a newcomer from Salt Lake Community College, got the scholar-athlete award.
Two players, sophomores Jack Purchase and Brocke Stepteau, split UH’s most improved player award. Purchase, a transfer from Auburn, hit a team-high 72 3s, while Stepteau, a walk-on and former backup, claimed the starting point guard job and had 90 assists to 52 turnovers.
The Riley Wallace Leadership Award, introduced by Ganot after the Big West championship season of 2015-16, was not distributed this year.