UC Santa Barbara sophomore guard Ajay Mitchell was named the Big West Player of the Year and Gaucho senior Miles Norris was selected to the all-conference second team.
Mitchell becomes UCSB’s first sophomore to earn the Player of the Year honors since Orlando Johnson in the 2009-10 season.
Mike Magpayo of UC Riverside was named the Big West Coach of the Year, and 6-foot-10 Lachlan Olbrich of the Highlanders was honored as the Freshman of the Year .
The Big West Newcomer of the Year recognition went to Long Beach State’s Lassina Traore.
Cal State Fullerton’s Tory San Antonio was the Best Defensive Player, Aboubacar Traore of Long Beach was named the Best Hustle Player, and Jamal Hartwell II of UCR was recognized as Best Sixth Player.
The league’s 11 head coaches voted for all awards.
Mitchell last season’s Big West Freshman of the Year, started all 31 games and finished sixth in the league in scoring (team-best 15.7 points per game), first in assists per game (5.1), second in total assists (159) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3), third in field goal percentage (49.4), and fourth in free throw percentage (82.2) and steals (43-tied), while pulling down 2.7 rebounds a night.
Mitchell scored in double digits 25 times this year. His season high was 28 in a Feb. 23 win versus Long Beach State.
Norris shined during his senior season, averaging 14.2 points per game while grabbing 6.4 rebounds per game. The senior from San Diego earned four double-doubles this season while also reaching 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds.
All Big West Men’s Basketball
First Team
DJ Davis, UC Irvine
Ajay Mitchell, UC Santa Barbara
Elijah Pepper, UC Davis
Zyon Pullin, UC Riverside
Lassina Traore, Long Beach State
Latrell Wrightsell Jr., Cal State Fullerton
Second Team
Dawson Baker, UC Irvine
Flynn Cameron, UC Riverside
JoVon McClanahan, Hawai’i
Miles Norris, UC Santa Barbara
Bryce Pope, UC San Diego
Honorable Mention
Roddie Anderson III (UC San Diego); Christian Anigwe (UC Davis); Noel Coleman (Hawai’i); Antavion Collum (CSU Bakersfield); Pierre Crockrell II (UC Irvine); Kamaka Hepa (Hawai’i); Ty Johnson (UC Davis); Max Jones (Cal State Fullerton); Francis Nwaokorie (UC San Diego); Lachlan Olbrich (UC Riverside); Aboubacar Traore (Long Beach State); Marcus Tsohonis (Long Beach State); Atin Wright (CSUN)