PacWest men's basketball items

Pac West mens basketball items

Holy Names: After successfully completing their three-year provisional membership after leaving the NAIA, Holy Names is now a full NCAA D2 member and is eligible for PacWest and NCAA post-season competition.

“We knew Division II of the NCAA and the Pacific West Conference were the right places for HNU Athletics. Their philosophy balances athletic achievement with commit­ments to educational development and community service, which align well with our commitments to the full development of all student-athletes through their engagement in the total educational experience.” — Joint statement of Holy Names president William Hynes and AD Debbie Snell

KEY RETURNEES

Petar Kutlesic, Jr. F, Azusa Pacific: 10.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg (Second Team)
Cory Lange, Sr. G, BYU-Hawaii: 18.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg (Third Team)
Michael Smith, Sr. G, California Baptist: 21.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.8 apg (First Team)
Kuany Kuany, Sr. G, Chaminade: 16.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg (Second Team)
J.T. Roach, Sr. G, Concordia-Irvine: 16.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg (Second Team)
Trevor Hill, Jr. G, Dixie State: 16.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg (Second Team)
Josh Rodriguez, Soph. G, Point Loma: 17.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg (Second Team)

"California Baptist University's Michael Smith became a force to be reckoned with this season and has continued to garner accolades for his accomplishments on the court. One week after picking up 2015-16 Division II Collegiate Commissioners Association Men's Basketball All-West Region first-team recognition, the junior guard added All-District and All-American to his list of accomplishments this year. He was named to the All-West District first team and an All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches Tuesday, going along with his CCA All-American honorable mention recognition that came out Monday.

Smith, who was the PacWest Player of the Year and Tournament MVP, led CBU to a 28-7 overall record – the most program wins in the NCAA — and a first-place 15-5 PacWest mark. He finished the year with a 21.4 points per game average, which ranked 36th in all of Division II, and boasted a 57.8 shooting percentage, also sitting 36th in the division.

The South San Francisco native scored in double figures in all but two games this year, finishing the year on a 12-game, double-digit scoring spree, to lead CBU to its third-straight NCAA Division II postseason appearance. Smith scored a career-high 33 points on back-to-back nights in the conference tournament, becoming the first player to score 30 or more points two games in a row. He scored his 1,000th career point in the Lancers' 85-77 victory over Hawaii-Hilo on Jan. 25, 2016."