Bogut Named MWC Player of the Year, Giacoletti Coach of the Year - The Official Athletic Site of the University of Utah

Bogut Named MWC Player of the Year, Giacoletti Coach of the Year
Jackson and Markson make all-league teams, Hawkins earns honorable mention

Sophomore center Andrew Bogut is the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year.

March 7, 2005

SALT LAKE CITY - Utah's Andrew Bogut has been named the 2004-05 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, while Ute head coach Ray Giacoletti has been honored as the Coach of the Year. The Mountain West Conference announced its annual postseason awards, which were selected by the league's eight men's head coaches and a selected media panel, on Monday.

Marc Jackson and Bryant Markson also represented Utah on the all-conference team, with Jackson earning first team honors and Markson making the third team. Justin Hawkins received honorable mention. Utah (25-4, 13-1) won the Mountain West Conference regular season championship for fourth time in the league's six-year history. Led by Giacoletti in his first year, the Utes' 13 wins in conference play set a league record.

Bogut, a finalist for the Wooden and Naismith national player of the year awards, was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year after earning Freshman of the Year and second team all-league honors last season. The sophomore center from Melbourne, Australia, is the only player in the conference averaging a double-double. In conference games he ranked first in scoring (20.9 ppg), first in rebounds (12.5 rpg), first in field goal percentage (64.0), second in blocked shots (2.07), 13th in assists (2.50) and 15th in free throw percentage (73.3).

Jackson, a senior guard from Salt Lake City, received all-Mountain West recognition for the second time after making the second team as a sophomore in 2002-03. During the 14 league games, Jackson ranked second in assists (4.93 apg), first in assist/turnover ratio (1.77), second in free throw percentage (82.5), seventh in three-point percentage (38.9), 10th in three-pointers per game (1.50) and 13th in steals (1.14 spg).

Markson, a junior forward from Monrovia, Calif., earned all-conference honors for the first time. Markson ranked 14th in the MWC in scoring (11.4 ppg), 15th in rebounding (3.9 rpg), sixth in field goal percentage (53.9) and fifth in free throw percentage (81.3) during the league season.

Hawkins, a sophomore forward from Anaheim, Calif., scored in double figures five times on conference play, averaging 8.3 points per game. He ranked 17th in the MWC in rebounding (3.9 rpg) over 14 conference games.

2004-05 All-Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Team
(Selected by media and head coaches)

Player of the Year: Andrew Bogut, Utah
Defensive Player of the Year: Justin Williams, Wyoming
Freshman of the Year: Jason Smith, Colorado State
Coach of the Year: Ray Giacoletti, Utah

First-Team All-Mountain West

Andrew Bogut, So., C, Utah
Danny Granger, Sr., F, New Mexico
Jay Straight, Sr., G, Wyoming
Odartey Blankson, Sr., F, UNLV
Marc Jackson, Sr., G, Utah

Second-Team All-Mountain West

Marcus Slaughter, So., F, San Diego St.
Brandon Heath, So., G, San Diego St.
Nick Welch, Jr., C, Air Force
Matt Nelson, Sr., C, Colorado State
Antoine Hood, Jr., G, Air Force

Third-Team All-Mountain West

Bryant Markson, Jr., F, Utah
Justin Williams, Jr., F/C, Wyoming
Mike Hall, Sr., G, BYU
David Chiotti, Jr., F, New Mexico
Troy DeVries, Sr., G, New Mexico
Honorable Mention
Air Force: Tim Keller (Sr., G), Matt McCraw (So., G),
   Jacob Burtschi (So., F)
BYU: Austin Ainge (So., G)
Colorado State: Jason Smith (Fr., F), Matt Williams (Sr., F)
New Mexico: Mark Walters (Jr., G), Alfred Neale (Sr., F)
San Diego State: Matt Thomas (Fr., G)
UNLV: Michael Umeh (So., G), Romel Beck (Sr., G),
   Louis Amundson (Jr., F)
Utah: Justin Hawkins (So., F)
Wyoming: Dion Sherrell (Sr., G)