UH hoops picks up secondary Big West honors
STAR-ADVERTISER
UH Rainbow Warrior Mike Thomas went up strong against UC Irvine Anteaters Tommy Rutherford (42) and Eyassu Worku (24) during a game, Feb. 15, at the Bren Events Center. UH won the game 62-61.
FULLERTON, Calif. >> The Hawaii basketball team received some secondary Big West Conference postseason awards today.
UH senior forward Mike Thomas, the Rainbow Warriors’ top scorer and rebounder, was named an All-BWC honorable mention. Thomas, a five-year player and three-year team captain, put up 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 56.3 percent from the field for sixth-place UH (17-12, 8-8 Big West).
It marked the first time in the Rainbows’ six years of Big West membership they did not receive a first- or second-team award.
But UH picked up a couple of specialty awards. Junior guard Sheriff Drammeh earned the hustle player award and junior forward Jack Purchase picked up the sixth man award.
Point guard Drew Buggs was thought to be a strong contender for freshman of the year, but that award went to Terrell Gomez of last-place Cal State Northridge.
TJ Shorts II was named Big West player of the year as well as newcomer of the year for first-place UC Davis and Aggies coach Jim Les was coach of the year.
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First-team players were: Shorts, guard Max Heidegger and forward Leland King II of UC Santa Barbara; forward Tommy Rutherford of UC Irvine; guard Kyle Allman of Cal State Fullerton; and forward Gabe Levin of Long Beach State.
The second team was: guard Khalil Ahmad of Fullerton; forward Tavrion Dawson of Cal State Northridge; guard Evan Leonard of Irvine; guard Siler Schneider of Davis; and guard Gabe Vincent of UCSB.
Irvine forward Jonathan Galloway was defensive player of the year.
Sixth-seeded UH faces third-seeded UC Irvine (16-16, 11-5) at Anaheim’s Honda Center at 4 p.m. (Hawaii time) on Thursday.
