March 10, 2008
LAS VEGAS - UNLV men's basketball head coach Lon Kruger was named the 2007-08 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year as the annual postseason awards were announced by the conference on Monday.
Runnin' Rebel guard Wink Adams was selected to the All-MWC first team, guard Curtis Terry was named to the third team, while forwards Joe Darger and René Rougeau were named honorable mention.
The awards were selected by the league's nine men's head coaches along with a selected media panel.
Kruger captured the league's coach of the year honors for the first time. It is UNLV's first conference coach of the year award since 2000 and first time a UNLV coach earned the honor outright since 1992.
Kruger has led this year's Runnin' Rebels to a 23-7 overall record and a second-place finish in the MWC with a 12-4 league mark. He has led UNLV to back-to-back seasons with at least 23 wins for the first time since 1990-91 and 1991-92 and not only did UNLV lose four starters from last year's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 team, but also the 2006-07 MWC Defensive Player of the Year. UNLV is without 62 percent of the scoring, rebounding and minutes played from last season's team and is competing with just a 10-man roster after the loss of three players from the program during the season. Additionally, UNLV is winning with a lineup that averages just 6-feet, 4.5-inches and whose tallest starter is only 6-foot-7-inches.
Adams, a 6-foot junior, was one of just two players in the MWC to rank in the top 10 in the conference in scoring, field-goal percentage, assists, free-throw percentage, steals and 3-point field goals made in conference-only games. He led UNLV in scoring in MWC games and was third in the conference with 17.0 ppg and was second in free-throw percentage at 81.7 percent.
Adams was named the MWC Player of the Week twice this season and scored in double figures in 14 of 16 conference games, including 20 or more points in six league games. Adams was a second-team selection last year and was honorable mention as a freshman in 2005-06.
Terry, a 6-5 senior, led the MWC in assists with 5.9 per game in conference games, which was 1.01 apg higher than the second-ranked player. He was fourth on the team in scoring in league games with a 10.3 ppg average.
Darger, a 6-7 junior, tied for seventh in conference games for 3-pointers made per game with 1.9 and scored in double figures in nine league games.
Rougeau, a 6-6 junior, was the only player in the MWC to be in the top five in overall rebounding, offensive rebounding, blocked shots and steals. He led the MWC in steals in conference games with 2.4 per game. He was tied for fourth in rebounding with 6.8 per game in league games and blocked 1.3 shots per game, which ranked tied for third.
Joining Adams on the first team were BYU's Lee Cummard and Trent Plaisted, New Mexico's J.R. Giddens and San Diego State's Lorrenzo Wade.
The second team consisted of Air Force's Tim Anderson, Colorado State's Marcus Walker, Utah's Johnnie Bryant and Luke Nevill and Wyoming's Brandon Ewing.
Along with Terry on the third team were BYU's Jonathan Tavernari, San Diego State's Ryan Amoroso and Billy White and TCU's Kevin Langford.
The other honorable mention recipients were New Mexico's Chad Toppert and Daniel Faris and TCU's Brent Hackett.
Cummard and Giddens were named Co-Players of the Year, while Defensive Player of the Year was Anderson, Newcomer of the Year was Walker and Freshman of the Year was White.
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Also, the UNLV men's basketball team's 2007-08 season will be celebrated on Sunday, March 16, as the Runnin' Rebel Basketball Banquet will take place at Cox Pavilion. The event will begin at 1 p.m. with a cocktail social, followed by lunch at 1:30 p.m. An awards ceremony will take place just after 2 p.m. The cost is $30 per person to attend the banquet. Reservations along with payment must be made by Wednesday, March 12. To make reservations or for more information, please call the Runnin' Rebel Basketball Office at (702) 895-3295. The banquet will be business casual attire.
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2007-08 All-Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Team (Selected by media and head coaches)
First-Team All-Mountain WestLee Cummard, BYU, Jr., G/F, 6-7, 185, Mesa, Ariz. (Mesa HS)Trent Plaisted, BYU, Jr., F/C, 6-11, 245, San Antonio, Texas (Clark HS)J.R. Giddens, New Mexico, Sr., G, 6-5, 215, Oklahoma City, Okla. (Univ. of Kansas)Lorrenzo Wade, San Diego State, Jr., F, 6-6, 228, Las Vegas, Nev. (Univ. of Louisville)Wink Adams, UNLV, Jr., G, 6-0, 200, Houston, Texas (Gulf Shores Academy)
Second-Team All-Mountain WestTim Anderson, Air Force, Sr., G, 6-3, 180, El Paso, Texas (Franklin HS)Marcus Walker, Colorado State, Jr., G, 6-0, 175, Kansas City, Kan. (Indian Hills CC)Johnnie Bryant, Utah, Sr., G, 6-0, 180, Oakland, Calif. (Ohlone College)Luke Nevill, Utah, Jr., C, 7-1, 265, Perth, Australia (Kell HS-Ga.)Brandon Ewing, Wyoming, Jr., G, 6-2, 190, Chicago, Ill. (Julian HS)
Third-Team All-Mountain WestJonathan Tavernari, BYU, So., F, 6-6, 215, Sao Bernardo, Brazil (Bishop Gorman HS)Ryan Amoroso, San Diego State, Jr., F, 6-8, 272, Burnsville, Minn. (Marquette Univ.)Billy White, San Diego State, Fr., F, 6-7, 190, Las Vegas, Nev. (Green Valley HS)Kevin Langford, TCU, Jr., F, 6-8, 243, Fort Worth, Texas (Univ. of California)Curtis Terry, UNLV, Sr., G/F, 6-5, 205, University Place, Wash. (Curtis HS)
Honorable MentionChad Toppert, Jr., G, New MexicoJoe Darger, Jr., F, UNLVRene Rougeau, Jr., G, UNLVBrent Hackett, Sr., G, TCUDaniel Faris, Jr., C, New Mexico
Co-Players of the Year: Lee Cummard, BYU; J.R. Giddens, New MexicoDefensive Player of the Year: Tim Anderson, Air ForceNewcomer of the Year: Marcus Walker, Colorado StateFreshman of the Year: Billy White, San Diego StateCoach of the Year: Lon Kruger, UNLV
