Feb. 23, 2006
SAN BRUNO, Calif. - With the West Coast Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament just around the corner, the WCC takes a look back at some of the event's all-time great performers. Each weekday, leading up to the day before the championships begin (March 1), the WCC will recognize one male and one female former student-athlete for their achievements during the WCC Tournament. This year's event marks the 20th anniversary of the men's tournament and the 15th anniversary of the women's tournament. At the midway point, the WCC looks back at former WCC Tournament greats Kweemada King of Portland and Tracy Morris of Saint Mary's.
WCC Tournament All-Time Great Performers: Day 4
PORTLAND - Kweemada King (1996)
Kweemada King may be unknown to those not associated with the Portland program, but his performance in the 1996 WCC Tournament championship game is among the best in the event's 19-year history.
King, who played only one full season with the Pilots, came off the bench to score a career and game-high 26 points to lift the fifth seeded Pilots to a 76-68 win over Pacific Northwest rival Gonzaga in the tournament finale.
The win gave the Pilots their first WCC Tournament title and their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 37 years. For his performance, King, a 1996 All-WCC honorable mention member, was named tournament MVP, becoming the first Pilot to earn the tournament's top honor.
SAINT MARY'S - Tracy Morris (1997-2000)
Four Saint Mary's players were named to the all-tournament team following the Gaels' first-ever WCC Tournament title in 1999, and the group was headlined by MVP Tracy Morris, who became only the second player in WCC history to win the regular season Player of the Year honor in addition to the tournament MVP award.
Morris was named to the all-tourney team after leading SMC into the tournament championship game in 1998, but topped that performance the following year as the No. 3 seeded Gaels claimed the crown with a 72-69 triumph over top-seeded Pepperdine in the championship game.
She finished her career as the second highest scorer in WCC Tournament history with 131 points.
WCC Tournament All-Time Great Performers: Day 1 - Dan Dickau, GON & Melissa King, SCU
WCC Tournament All-Time Great Performers: Day 2 - Hank Gathers, LMU & Valerie Gillon, USF
WCC Tournament All-Time Great Performers: Day 3 - Dana Jones, PEP & Jessica Gray, USD