Thursday, March 14, 2013

PORTLAND, Ore. - Western Washington senior guard John Allen has been voted the Daktronics NCAA Division II West Region Men’s Basketball Player of the Year.

Allen led the Vikings to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season title this winter, ranking second in the GNAC in scoring averaging 17.3 points per game.  He also paced the Vikings in assists (4.0) in earning GNAC Player of the Year honors.

Joining Allen on the Daktronics West Region all-star team were teammate Paul Jones, Cal Poly Pomona guard Mitchel Anderson, Seattle Pacific guard David Downs and forward Kwame Alexander of Cal State San Bernardino.

Anderson and Alexander are repeat selections from last year when they earned second team honors.

All five players will be on display this weekend when the NCAA West Regionals begin Friday with four first-round game.  The top-seeded Vikings (27-2) will play Chaminade (20-9) in Friday's final quarterfinal at 7:30 p.m.  Third-seed Seattle Pacific (25-3) plays sixth-seed Grand Canyon (23-7) in the first quarterfinal at noon.

Selected to the second team were guards DeAndre Haskins of Chaminade, Mark McLaughlin of Central Washington, Terrence Drisdom of Cal Poly Pomona and Brian Goins of Cal State San Bernardino, forward Decensae White of San Francisco State and center Zach Robbins of Dixie State.

Players selected to the region first team will be listed on the Daktronics All-American national ballot.  The All-American team will be announced next Thursday (Mar. 21).

NCAA MEN'S WEST REGIONALS (Mar. 15-19 at Bellingham): Friday - #3 Seattle Pacific (25-3) vs. #6 Grand Canyon (23-7), noon; #2 Cal Poly Pomona (27-2) vs. #7 Chico State (19-10), 2:30 p.m.; #4 Dixie State (22-6) vs. #5 Cal State San Bernardino (19-8), 5 p.m.; #1 Western Washington (27-2) vs. #8 Chaminade (20-9), 7:30 p.m.  Monday - Semifinals at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.  Tuesday - Championship game at 8:30 p.m.