Hoops Accolades

 The Western Athletic Conference announced the postseason awards for both the men and women's basketball teams and for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel a UT Arlington Maverick was slighted. The team also made history as I'll mention in a bit.

The Mavericks scored two -of-the-Year awards with Phillip Russell scoring the Sixth-Man-of-the-Year and Makaih Williams landing UTA's second consecutive Freshman-of-the-Year in the WAC.

DaJuan Gordon was the first Mav to get a first-team all conference award in the WAC. David Azore in 2020/21 was the last conference first-teamer. Shemar Wilson landed on the Second-Team-All WAC. Both Gordon and Wilson landed on the all-defensive team.

Gordon averages 12.9 points per game (2nd on Mavs, 18th in the WAC), 8.4 rebounds (1st, 3rd), 2.6 assists (3rd, 16th) and 1.8 steals (1st, 3rd).

Russell, who started only four of the 15 conference games he played in, averages 13.5 PPG (1st, 9th) and 4.2 APG (1st, 3rd).

Williams put up 11.2 PPG (4th, 29th) .455 three-point percentage (1st,1st(half an attempt per game)) and 2.8 APG (2nd, 13th).

Wilson rounds up the four Mavs who average double digits with 11.8 PPG (3rd, 25th), 7.9 RPG (2nd, 4th) and 1.9 blocks per (1st, 1st).

For the first time in program history, the Mavs landed two of-the-year awards among its players with Russell and Williams. In 1981, 2012 and 2017 a Coach-of-the-Year was earned in addition to a player. Robert "Snake" LeGrand combined with Albert Culton on Freshman of the Year in 1981. In 2012 Scott Cross would earn a CotY with Kevin Butler earning the Newcomer award. Cross would get the award again in 2017 coupled with Kevin Hervey earning the Player-of-the-Year.

The men play 10:30pm against the winner of the Abilene Christian and Stephen F. Austin game in Las Vegas.

On the women's side, there were no individual player awards, but two landed on the all-WAC team. Junior guard Gia Adams landed on the first team while Brittingham landed on the second team squad. 

Adams was seventh in the conference while leading the team with 14.9 PPG while Brittingham had 12.2, good for fourth on the team and 17th in the conference. Adams' 45 percent field goal percentage is sixth in the WAC while her 82.6 free throw percentage is first and her assists, assist-to-turnover ratio and steals are top ten.

Brittingham contributed mightily on the glass as her 243 rebounds were first in the conference, her 8.1 RPG and 185 defensive rebounds were second and her 58 offensive boards were sixth. She had 39 blocks, second on the team and third in the WAC and 46 steals are second for the team and tenth in the conference. 

For those wondering, despite Adams earning Newcomer-of-the-Week in the WAC four times, there is no Newcomer-of-the-Year in the WAC. No other WAC player who is a non-freshman won it more than once. Faith Acker of Tarleton, Payton Hull of Abilene Christian and Khloe Lemon of CBU each won it twice.

The women open in Las Vegas for the conference tournament Wednesday at 2 pm against Southern Utah.