Zags’ Hachimura named

Julius Erving Award finalist

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura was named one of five finalists for the 2019 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award on Wednesday.

Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor in its fifth year recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men’s college basketball.

A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 student-athletes in October, which was narrowed to 10 candidates in February and now just five finalists. This month, the finalists will be presented to Mr. Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans are encouraged to visit www.HoophallAwards.com to cast their votes March 8-29.

The five finalists for the award are Hachimura (Gonzaga), Marial Shayok (Iowa State), Caleb Martin (Nevada), Admiral Schofield (Tennessee) and De’Andre Hunter (Virginia).

The winner of the award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards in Los Angeles on April 12.

Previous winners of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award include Mikal Bridges, Villanova (2018), Josh Hart, Villanova (2017), Denzel Valentine, Michigan State (2016) and Stanley Johnson, Arizona (2015).

Information: hoophallawards.com.

Olerud headlines 2019

Pac-12 Hall of Honor Class

SAN FRANCISCO — The Pac-12 Conference on Wednesday announced the 2019 class to be inducted into the Pac-12 Hall of Honor, including Cougar Hall of Famer John Olerud, a three-year baseball standout during his time in Pullman.

Formal induction will take place on Friday, March 15 during a ceremony prior to the semifinals of the 2019 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament. Following induction, the class will be honored during a special halftime ceremony of the day’s first semifinal matchup at T-Mobile Arena on March 15.

“John has always been and continues to be a great ambassador for Cougar Athletics,” WSU athletic director Pat Chun said. “This is another tremendous honor for John and his family, and more confirmation that his accomplishments are befitting of the moniker, ‘The greatest player in Pac-12 baseball history.’”

The 2019 Hall of Honor class will be the 18th since its creation in 2002, and the second to feature legendary figures from an array of sports after the Pac-12 last season expanded the field to be inclusive of the broad-based athletics success across the Conference of Champions. From NCAA champions, Super Bowl champions and World Series champions to Olympic medalists to legendary coaches, the 2019 class features a star-studded list of inductees including Meg Ritchie-Stone (Arizona), Frank Kush (Arizona State), Natalie Coughlin (California), Lisa Van Goor (Colorado), Bev Smith (Oregon), Dick Fosbury (Oregon State), Dick Gould (Stanford), Ann Meyers Drysdale (UCLA), Ronnie Lott (USC), Steve Smith Sr. (Utah) and Patricia “Trish” Bostrom (Washington).

WSU’s Chun among Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year honorees

CLEVELAND — The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics announced the 28 winners of the Under Armour AD of the Year Award on Wednesday, with Washington State athletic director Pat Chun becoming the first Cougar athletic director to receive the honor.

“Pat has compiled an incredible list of accomplishments at WSU and done so with remarkable aplomb and leadership,” Washington State University President Kirk Schulz said. “He has earned the admiration and trust of our student-athletes, coaches, faculty and staff, the Pullman community, and his peers in the Pac-12 and across the country in his brief time at WSU. He is most deserving of this tremendous recognition.”

Despite seeing a changeover of 28 percent of the staff from the time he began, Chun has instituted programs to benefit student-athlete welfare, specifically mental health awareness. Under his leadership, Cougar programs have reached NCAA Championships in six sports, while student-athletes have collected 10 All-America certificates, 29 All-Conference and 161 Academic All-Conference selections, and three conference champions.

Additionally, his leadership has led to as revitalization of the annual giving program that set an all-time high in donations last fiscal year, and most importantly, seeing the academic performance of WSU student-athletes set program highs for GPA in back-to-back semesters.

“This is a tremendous honor and reflective of the great team we have assembled in our athletic department,” Chun said. “We have a singular focus of serving our student-athletes and providing the best collegiate experience possible. In the 14 months at WSU, we have achieved record-setting performances in our academics and on-field performances, enhanced our student-athlete welfare programs, initiated a campus-wide mental health awareness campaign and saw our fundraising set program bests. We are extremely proud of our accomplishments over the past year and excited to continue Cougar Athletics’ ascent in the years to come.”

The award spans seven divisions (NCAA FBS, FCS, Division I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions and Junior College/Community Colleges). Winners will receive their awards during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, June 11 at NACDA’s 54th Annual Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla.

Winners of the 2018-19 Under Armour AD of the Year Award at the Football Bowl Subdivision level are Chun, Jamie Pollard (Iowa State), Danny White (Central Florida) and Deborah Yow (North Carolina State).

Roth earns national

AD of the Year

Gonzaga Director of Athletics Mike Roth was selected as a recipient of the NACDA Under Armour AD of the Year Award, announced by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics on Wednesday.

The award spans seven divisions (NCAA FBS, FCS, Division I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions and Junior College/Community Colleges). Winners will receive their awards during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, June 11 at NACDA’s 54th Annual Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla.

The ADOY Award highlights the efforts of athletics directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, campuses and their surrounding communities.

“The athletics directors who have been recognized as part of the Athletics Director of the Year Program continue to raise the bar as thought leaders and decision makers in college athletics,” said Bob Vecchione, NACDA Chief Executive Officer.

Roth, in his 22nd year as AD at Gonzaga, also won the award in 2008-09. He’s one of just seven repeat recipients this season among the four ADs selected in each of the seven divisions recognized by NACDA. Alongside Roth in Division I-AAA, Creighton’s Bruce Rasmussen, Cal State Fullerton’s Jim Donovan and Florida Gulf Coast’s Ken Kavanagh were also honored.