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WAC honors Idaho men's basketball pair

DENVER, Colo. - The Western Athletic Conference announced its 2009-10 men's basketball postseason honorees on Sunday and Idaho's Mac Hopson and Marvin Jefferson were among those selected.

Hopson, a senior from Portland, Ore., was chosen as all-WAC honorable mention after averaging 15.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game for the Vandals in WAC play. He earned three double-doubles this season and led the team in scoring 14 times.

The honor is the second of Hopson's career. He was a first-team all-WAC honoree last season and was chosen as a preseason first-team all-WAC honoree before the start of the 2009-10 year.

Jefferson, a senior from Merced, Calif., was chosen to the WAC all-defensive team for his first career postseason WAC honor. Jefferson's 60 blocked shots this season are the most by a Vandal in 27 years and rank third in Idaho history. With two more, he'll move into second all-time.

Earlier this year, Jefferson became just the third Idaho player to reach 100 career blocked shots, and had the school's sixth-best single-game blocking performance when he swatted six against Boise State on Jan. 25.

Jefferson joins Tanoris Shepard as the second Vandal to earn the WAC's all-defensive award. Shepard was honored after the 2006 season. Hopson's honor is the third all-WAC award earned by a Vandal. Jordan Brooks was also a second-team honoree in 2008.

The awards are voted upon by the league's coaches.

2009-10 Western Athletic Conference Award Winners

Don Haskins Coach of the Year: Stew Morrill, Utah State
Player of the Year: Luke Babbitt, Nevada
Freshman of the Year: Greg Smith, Fresno State

First-Team All-WAC
Luke Babbitt, Nevada
Jahmar Young, New Mexico State
Adrian Oliver, San Jose State
Jared Quayle, Utah State
Tai Wesley, Utah State

Second-Team All-WAC
Paul George, Fresno State
Kyle Gibson, Louisiana Tech
Magnum Rolle, Louisiana Tech
Armon Johnson, Nevada
Jonathan Gibson, New Mexico State

Honorable Mention All-WAC
Daequon Montreal, Boise State
Sylvester Seay, Fresno State
Roderick Flemings, Hawai`i
Mac Hopson, Idaho
Wendell McKines, New Mexico State

All-Defensive Team
Marvin Jefferson, Idaho
Kyle Gibson, Louisiana Tech
Magnum Rolle, Louisiana Tech
Dario Hunt, Nevada
Pooh Williams, Utah State

All-Newcomer Team
Daequon Montreal, Boise State
Greg Smith, Fresno State
DeAndre Brown, Louisiana Tech
Nate Bendall, Utah State
Brian Green, Utah State

University of Idaho Athletics