Louisiana Tech forward Paul Millsap has been named the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and to the WAC All-Newcomer team as released Sunday by the league office.

Millsap, a 6-7, 225-pounder out of Louisiana's Grambling High School, was also named a second-team All-WAC selection.

"I'm very happy to be honored this way and to do everything I can to help my team," Millsap said.

The NCAA's No. 1 rebounder with 12.3 rebounds per game also leads the Bulldogs and ranks seventh in WAC scoring with 15.5 points per game. Millsap also leads the WAC in blocked shots with 1.68 per contest.

Millsap recorded 18 double-doubles during regular-season play and scored 20 or more points in eight games. He poured in a season high of 27 points against Rice on Jan. 5 while pulling down a career-high 21 rebounds at Nevada on Jan. 8.

He was named WAC Player of the Week on Jan. 26 and was a two-time Louisiana Sports Writers Association Player of the Week, picking up the honors on Dec. 17 and Feb. 10.

Nevada swingman Kirk Snyder was voted the WAC Player of the Year after leading the conference in scoring with 20.2 ppg along with 5.8 rpg and 3.5 assists per contest.

It marked Snyder's second straight selction to the All-WAC first team.

UTEP's Billy Gillispie was the named the Don Haskins Coach of the Year after guiding his squad to a share of the WAC regular season title with a 22-6 overall and 13-5 conference record. UTEP went 6-24 last year and the Miners' turnaround is tied for the best single-season improvement since the NCAA began keeping record in 1974.

Joining Snyder as All-WAC first team picks were Boise State's Aaron Haynes,

Hawaii's Michael Kubler, Rice's Michael Harris and UTEP's Filiberto Rivera.

The All-WAC second-team selections were Millsap, Fresno State's Shantay Legans, Rice's Jason McKrieth, UTEP's Omar Thomas and Tulsa's Jason Parker.

Named to the All-WAC Defensive Team were Boise State's Jason Ellis, Fresno State's Mustfa Al-Sayyad, Nevada's Garry Hill-Thomas, Tulsa's Jarius Glenn and Rivera of UTEP.

Louisiana Tech will face San Jose State at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday in first-round action of the McCaffrey WAC Tournament at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.


2004 WAC Men?s Basketball Postseason Award Winners

All-Conference
First Team
Aaron Haynes, Boise State, F, 6-7, 180, Sr., Fresno, Calif. (Sacramento City College)
Michael Kuebler, Hawai?i, G, 6-5, 185, Sr., Salem, Ore. (Clackamas CC)
Kirk Snyder, Nevada, G/F, 6-6, 225, Jr., Upland, Calif. (Upland HS)
Michael Harris, Rice, F, 6-6, 225, Jr., Hillsboro, Texas (Hillsboro HS)
Filiberto Rivera, UTEP, G, 6-1, 165, Jr., Carolina, Puerto Rice (Southeastern CC)

Second Team
Shantay Legans, Fresno State, G, 5-10, 165, Sr., Goleta, Calif. (California)
Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech, F, 6-8, 200, Fr., Grambling, La. (Grambling HS)
Jason McKrieth, Rice, G, 6-4, 210, Jr., Schenectady, N.Y. (Schenectady HS)
Omar Thomas, UTEP, F, 6-5, 205, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa. (Panola College)
Jason Parker, Tulsa, G, 6-2, 180, Sr., Tulsa, Okla. (Memorial HS)

Player of the Year: Kirk Snyder, Nevada
Freshman of the Year: Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech
Don Haskins Coach of the Year: Billy Gillispie, UTEP

All-Newcomer Team
Shantay Legans, Fresno State, G, 5-10, 165, Sr., Goleta, Calif. (California)
Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech, F, 6-8, 200, Fr., Grambling, La. (Grambling HS)
Nick Fazekas, Nevada, F, 6-11, 215, Fr., Arvada, Colo. (Ralston Valley HS)
Filiberto Rivera, UTEP, G, 6-1, 165, Jr., Carolina, Puerto Rice (Southeastern CC)
Omar Thomas, UTEP, F, 6-5, 205, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa. (Panola College)

All-Defensive Team
Jason Ellis, Boise State, F, 6-7, 216, Jr., Kent, Wash. (Kentridge HS)
Mustafa Al-Sayyad, Fresno State, F/C, 6-9, 225, Jr., Khartoum, Sudan (Washington College Academy)
Garry Hill-Thomas, Nevada, G, 6-4, 200, Sr., Oakland, Calif. (Bishop O?Dowd HS)
Filiberto Rivera, UTEP, G, 6-1, 165, Jr., Carolina, Puerto Rice (Southeastern CC)
Jarius Glenn, Tulsa, F, 6-6, 220, Jr., Decatur, Ga. (Avondale HS)


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