Eight WAC student-athletes have been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 6 team. The honorees are now eligible for the NABC All-America teams to be announced at the conclusion of the season.
Utah State led the way with three players, including Gary Wilkinson, Jared Quayle and Tai Wesley. Nevada had two with Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson. Mac Hopson represented Idaho on the team. New Mexico State’s Jahmar Young made the team and Hawai?i’s Roderick Flemings also earned a spot on the squad.
Wilkinson, a senior forward from South Jordan, Utah (Bingham HS) was named to the District 6 first-team. Wilkinson currently ranks second in the Western Athletic Conference in both scoring (17.1) and free throw shooting (.843), is third in field goal shooting (.588), and fifth in rebounding (7.2). He earned second-team all-WAC honors a year ago, along with being named to the league's all-newcomer team.
Quayle, a junior guard from Perry, Utah (Box Elder HS/Western Wyoming CC) was named second-team all-district along with Wesley, a sophomore forward from Provo, Utah (Provo HS). Quayle has started 28 games for Utah State this year in his first season at the Division I level and currently ranks third in the WAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.00), fifth in steals (1.43), sixth in assists (3.73), and 13th in scoring (12.6).
Wesley was also named to the second team. He has started every game this season for USU and ranks second in the WAC in field goal shooting (.603), 10th in steals (1.30), and 12th in rebounding (5.9). He is also averaging 12.1 points and 2.6 assists per game to rank third on the team.
Babbitt, a freshman from Reno, Nev. (Galena HS) is already the winner of two WAC Player-of-the-Week awards this season. Nevada’s freshman scoring record holder has opened his career in the Silver and Blue in strong fashion, leading the team in both scoring and rebounding this season. The McDonald’s High School All-American is averaging 16.4 points per game and ranks fifth in the WAC as well as fifth among the nation’s freshmen in scoring. Babbitt is also leading the Pack in both categories in conference play, checking in at fourth in the WAC with 17.4 points and third with 7.7 rebounds per conference contest.
Johnson, a sophomore guard from Reno, Nev. (Hug HS) is now second on the team and seventh in the WAC with 15.4 points per contest. The preseason WAC Player of the Year has paced the team in scoring 10 times this year, most recently scoring 28 points Saturday vs. Utah State. He also had 25 of Nevada’s 47 points and hitting the game-winning shot Feb. 14 at Hawai’i, scored 27 points Feb. 5 vs. La Tech and turned in a career-high 33 points on Dec. 20 at California. In the last nine games, Johnson has scored 17.7 points per game (159 points).
Hopson, from Portland, Oreg. (Washington State) currently leads the University of Idaho men’s basketball team with 16.6 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.7 steals and ranks second with 4.9 rebounds per game. His assists per game average currently leads the WAC and he ranks in the top four in three additional categories. On a national level, Hopson ranks No. 21 for assists and No. 84 for assist/turnover ratio (1.90). He has scored in double figures in all but one contest this season and has finished with five or more assists in 19 games. His 163 assists tie for third on Idaho’s single-season records list and his play has helped Idaho to its best record in 10 seasons at 14-14 overall.
Young, from Baltimore, Maryland (Laurinberg Prep) leads the Aggies in scoring at 18.5 points per game this season. He is also pulling down 4.1 rebounds and dishing out 3.1 assists per game. He has scored 30 or more points on two occasions already this season. He put in 30 against Loyola Marymount (12/28) and registered 32 against San Jose State (1/29).
Flemings is UH’s leading scorer, averaging 16.8 points per game. The Dallas, Texas native also leads the team in steals (32), minutes played (35.9 mpg) and double-doubles (5). In a December win over Eastern Washington, he scored 37 points, the most by a Rainbow Warrior in 14 years. Flemings is the fifth UH player in the last seven seasons to earn all-district distinction, joining former ’Bows Julian Sensley, Michael Kuebler, Carl English, and Predrag Savovic.
District 6
First Team
Gary Wilkinson, Utah State
Mac Hopson, Idaho
Luke Babbitt, Nevada
Jahmar Young, New Mexico State
Armon Johnson, Nevada
Second Team
Jared Quayle, Utah State
Tai Wesley, Utah State
Kellen McCoy, Weber State
Roderick Flemings, Hawai?i
Jeremiah Dominguez, Portland State