Feb. 28, 2006

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SAN BRUNO, Calif. -- Gonzaga was rewarded for posting a perfect 14-0 conference record on Tuesday as the Bulldogs claimed two of the four yearly WCC awards. Junior Adam Morrison was honored with West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors for leading the Zags to their second perfect 14-0 run through the WCC in the last three seasons. Head Coach Mark Few was awarded his sixth consecutive WCC Coach of the Year honor for guiding the Bulldogs to their record sixth consecutive regular season crown. Rounding out this year's conference awards was San Diego's Corey Belser earning Defensive Player of the Year honors, while San Francisco's Armondo Surratt was tabbed as the conference's Newcomer of the Year.

Morrison is the sixth consecutive Gonzaga player to earn the conference's top award. He follows former GU standouts Ronny Turiaf (2005), Blake Stepp (2004, 2003), Dan Dickau (2002) and Casey Calvary (2001). The Spokane, Wash. native leads the nation in scoring with 28.8 points per game, while shooting a solid 50.9 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from beyond the arc. Morrison has topped the 30-point plateau 13 times this season and has reached 40 or more points in a game on five different occasions. His 29.4 points per game average during WCC play ranks as the fifth highest clip in conference history.

After guiding the Bulldogs to a perfect 14-0 record during conference play this season, Few increased his career WCC coaching record to an astounding 89-9 (.908) in seven campaigns. Few has guided the Bulldogs to six consecutive WCC regular season titles, breaking the previous record of five straight by San Francisco (1977-81).

Belser, considered one of the top defenders in the country, takes home his first WCC Defensive Player of the Year award and is the first San Diego player to ever garner the league's top defensive honor. The Spanaway, Wash. native ranked in the top 10 in the conference in steals, blocks and defensive rebounds. Surratt, a junior transfer from the University of Miami, made an immediate impact in his first season on The Hilltop, pacing the WCC in assists, while averaging 14.5 points per game.