On Sunday, Jarred Shaw and Spencer Butterfield were both selected to the all-WAC second team and all-WAC newcomers team for their contributions for Utah State this year.
The juniors who both took on greater roles for the Aggies were honored by the WAC's coaches. Whereas Shaw, a transfer from Oklahoma State, was voted preseason newcomer of the year, Butterfield's contributions were more of a surprise after coming to Logan from Yuba College.
Shaw averaged 14 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this season. Butterfield started 23 games following a season-ending injury to Danny Berger, and averaged 12 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest.
The WAC player of the year was Idaho's Kyle Barone, a center who was one of the conference's leading scorers and rebounders and averaged a double-double in WAC play. Louisiana Tech's Michael White was named the coach of the year for turning the program around for a 26-5 season and a share of the WAC title.
New Mexico State's Sim Bhullar, a 7-foot-5 center, was named freshman of the year.
Louisiana Tech's Raheem Appleby and Kenneth Smith, Denver's Chris Udofia and New Mexico State's Bandja Sy were also elected to the first team with Barone.
Butterfield and Shaw shared second-team honors with Denver's Chase Hallam, NMSU's Daniel Mullings and Texas State's Joel Wright.
The Utah State duo also were put alongside Bhullar, Wright and Louisiana Tech's Alex Hamilton for all-newcomer honors.
The all-WAC honorees are, in some ways, profoundly different from the preseason polls, particularly for Utah State. The Aggies were picked to win the WAC by the media behind preseason player of the year Preston Medlin and second-teamer Kyisean Reed. Both were injured in January, rocking the boat for the Aggies, who finished fifth.
Denver and Louisiana Tech tied for the conference regular season title.
Butterfield was also named the WAC player of the week for helping lead USU to wins over Texas State and UT-San Antonio in the team's final regular season games. He averaged 12 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6 assists per game, his headliner coming against the Bobcats with a career-high 20 rebounds. It was Butterfield's second such honor.
The No. 5-seeded Aggies will play UT-Arlington on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. PT at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas to start the WAC tournament.
A full list of all-WAC honorees:
Player of the Year: Kyle Barone, Sr., C, Idaho
Freshman of the Year: Sim Bhullar, Fr., C, New Mexico State
Don Haskins Coach of the Year: Michael White, Louisiana Tech
First Team
• Chris Udofia, Jr., F, Denver
• Kyle Barone, Sr., C, Idaho
• Raheem Appleby, So., G, Louisiana Tech
• Kenneth Smith, So., G, Louisiana Tech
• Bandja Sy, Sr., F, New Mexico State
Second Team
• Chase Hallam, Sr., G, Denver
• Daniel Mullings, So., G, New Mexico State
• Joel Wright, Jr., F, Texas State
• Spencer Butterfield, Jr., G/F, Utah State
• Jarred Shaw, Jr., F/C, Utah State
Third Team
• Brett Olson, So., G, Denver
• Royce O'Neale, So., F, Denver
• Sim Bhullar, Fr., C, New Mexico State
• Kevin Butler, Sr., F, UT Arlington
• Michael Hale III, Sr., G, UTSA
All-Defensive Team
• Chase Hallam, Sr., G, Denver
• Chris Udofia, Jr., F, Denver
• Michale Kyser, So., F, Louisiana Tech
• Kenneth Smith, So., G, Louisiana Tech
• Daniel Mullings, So., G, New Mexico State
All-Newcomer Team
• Alex Hamilton, Fr., G, Louisiana Tech
• Sim Bhullar, Fr., C, New Mexico State
• Joel Wright, Jr., F, Texas State
• Spencer Butterfield, Jr., G/F, Utah State
• Jarred Shaw, Jr., F/C, Utah State
— Kyle Goon
kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon
