Olynyk informed Gonzaga head coach Mark Few of his decision Friday morning and then contacted his Bulldog teammates to share the news with them.

“We are very proud of what Kelly was able to accomplish at Gonzaga both on the court and in the classroom,” stated Few. “The fact he was the Academic All-American for all of college basketball is a great example of what he is all about. We wish him all the best in his next challenge.”

Olynyk, who redshirted the 2011-12 season, was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year this past season. He averaged 17.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.7 assists/game and 1.1 blocks/game in helping Gonzaga to a 32-3 overall record, a 16-0 WCC mark, the WCC Tournament title and a 15^th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

His stellar output on the court garnered him many accolades. The junior was named Associated Press All-America, U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-America, Sporting News All-America, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I All-America and was tabbed as the third Zag to be named a John R. Wooden Award Top Five honoree in the program’s history and the first since 2006.

The 7-0 forward from Kamloops, B.C., was also named the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men’s basketball as well as being named to the Scholar-Athlete Team. Olynyk, who graduated in December with a 3.53 GPA in accounting, is currently finishing his first semester of the MBA program at Gonzaga. He was named to the Capital One All-Academic First Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Olynyk said the decision was a tough one.

“I love this place, I love my teammates, but the NBA has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid so it was something I had to act on,” he said. “It’s your dream. That’s the highest level and everyone wants to play at the highest level. It will be a journey, but I think it will be a fun one. You have to make sure you are ready to go and you are ready to play. You’re just moving on and you don’t know what’s going to happen up there.”

Olynyk said he has no indication when his name might be called June 27 at the NBA Draft.

“Depending who you talk to the numbers slide one way or the other. No one can really tell until draft night,” he said of his status.

He sought the opinions of several people in making the decision, but no one person gave him the best advice.

“I talked to a lot of people and a lot of people gave their two cents that I had to try to sort through what worked for me and what were deciding factors for me. I kind of pieced together a puzzle from a lot of people so I wouldn’t say there was one person who just stood out,” Olynyk said of the decision-making process.

“It was tough. When you talk to people no one really tells you to go or not go; everyone says it’s your decision. Everyone tells you why you should go and why you could come back. Everyone kind of leaves you hanging in that sense. They just say go with your heart, go with your gut and that’s what will make the best decision.”

Olynyk said he’s leaving with too many memories to mention.

“There’s too many to name; the atmosphere, the people, the community. The family atmosphere of this place is uncanny and I think that’s one of the best memories,” he said.

Other Bulldogs who have left Gonzaga early for the NBA were Paul Rogers following his junior season in 1997 who was a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers, Adam Morrison following his junior season of 2006 and was a first-round pick of the Charlotte Bobcats and Austin Daye following his sophomore season of 2009 who was a first-round pick of the Detroit Pistons.

KELLY OLYNYK CAREER STATISTICS

                                 Total         3-Point                    Rebounds

Year      GP-GS   Min/Avg    FG-FGA   Pct   FG-FGA   Pct   FT-FTA   Pct Off-Def  Tot  Avg  PF-FO Ast  TO Blk Stl  Pts/Avg

2009-10   34-0    419/12.3   49-98   .500    4-18   .222   28-47   .596  31-62    93  2.7  68-3   26  21   5  18  130/3.8

2010-11   35-4    471/13.5   74-129  .574   12-27   .444   42-68   .618  44-89   133  3.8  57-1   26  42   5  12  202/5.8

2011-12   Redshirted

2012-13   32-28   845/26.4  215-342  .629    9-30   .300  132-170  .776  77-158  235  7.3  72-2   55  77  36  22  571/17.8

TOTAL    101-32  1735/17.2  338-569  .594   25-75   .333  202-285  .709 152-309  461  4.6 197-6  107 140  46  52  903/8.9

The 20 winners of the 11th Annual Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete Teams were announced Thursday by the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA).

“Our Association congratulates this year’s scholar-athlete award winners,” stated Tim Hall, chair of the Division I-AAA ADA Scholar-Athlete Team Selection Committee and athletics director at the University of Missouri Kansas City. “We pride ourselves in honoring deserving student-athletes for both their academic and athletic achievements each year and are excited to have an additional platform on which to recognize these outstanding accomplishments.”

Basketball players from all Division I-AAA ADA member institutions are eligible for these prestigious awards. Each of the nominees was required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletics credentials. Nominated student-athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s games listed on the nomination form. To be eligible for nomination to the Scholar-Athlete Team, he/she must have reached junior academic standing at their institution (ineligible athletics transfers are not eligible).

Olynyk graduated in December with a 3.53 GPA in accounting and is currently in his first semester of the MBA program at Gonzaga. The native of Kamloops, British Columbia, helped lead Gonzaga to a 32-3 record this past season, the first 30-win season in school history, and to a 15^th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga finished the season ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll and earned its first No. 1 seed into the NCAA Tournament.

While Olynyk is the first Bulldog to receive the Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor, several Bulldogs have been named to the Scholar-Athlete Team. Sean Mallon was a three-time recipient from 2005-07; women’s basketball players Stephanie Hawk (2006-07) and Jamie Bjorklund Schaefer (2008-09) were two-time honorees, and Kyle Bankhead and Blake Stepp were each selected in 2004.

A special Review Committee of Division I-AAA athletics directors was responsible for selecting the winners. Completing this task were Committee Chair Tim Hall; Don DiJulia, St. Joseph’s; Gene Doris, Fairfield; Bill Hogan, Seattle; Bill Husak, Loyola Marymount; Jean Lenti Ponsetto, DePaul; and Dave Mullins, East Tennessee State.

Now in its 12th year, the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association’s mission is to enhance initiatives common to its Division I-AAA membership (the 101 Division I institutions that do not sponsor football), in particular, aspects related to their flagship basketball programs. For more information on the Division I-AAA ADA, please visit www.div1aaa-ada.com. The Division I-AAA ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 48th year.

For the complete team visit http://www.nacda.com.

Gonzaga University Division I-AAA ADA Scholar-Athlete Team Selections

2004

Kyle Bankhead,  Graduate, 3.26, Sports Administration

Blake Stepp, Sr., 3.23, Business Administration

2005

Sean Mallon, Jr., 3.28,Political Science

2006

Sean Mallon, Sr., 3.27, Political Science

Stephanie Hawk, Jr., 3.58, Business

2007

Sean Mallon, Graduate, 3.53, Master of Organizational Leadership

Stephanie Hawk, Graduate, 3.84, Master of Business Administration

2008

Jami Bjorklund Schaefer, Jr., 3.94, Business Administration

2009

Jami Bjorklund Schaefer, Sr., 3.95, Business Administration

                The John R. Wooden Award_® presented by Wendy’s_®, was presented by Coach John Wooden’s grandson, Greg, on behalf of the Los Angeles Athletic Club, to University of Michigan sophomore guard Trey Burke. Greg Wooden appeared on ESPN SportsCenter and presented Burke with the Wooden Award Trophy whose unique design was inspired by Coach Wooden’s idea of the “total basketball player.” The 37th Annual Wooden Award Gala presented by Wendy’s, honoring Burke and the men’s and women’s Wooden All American Teams, will take place April 12 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Olynyk becomes the third Bulldog to receive Wooden Award Top Five All-America recognition, joining Dan Dickau in 2002 and Adam Morrison in 2006.

Voters include hundreds of national college basketball media who selected and ranked 10 players. In the closest voting since Duke University’s J.J. Redick finished 72 points ahead of Morrison in 2006, Burke had 2,808 points, just ahead of second-place finisher Victor Oladipo of Indiana (2,718). Returning Wooden All American Doug McDermott of Creighton was third (2,344) followed by Otto Porter, Jr. of Georgetown (2,144) and Olynyk (2,079).

Olynyk, who redshirted last season, was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year. He averaged 17.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.7 assists/game and 1.1 blocks/game in helping Gonzaga to a 32-3 overall record, a 16-0 WCC mark, the WCC Tournament title and a 15^th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

After a stellar sophomore year in which he has averaged 18.8 points and 6.8 assists (No. 12 in the nation) while helping lead the Wolverines to the Final Four for the first time since 1993, Burke was also the 2013 Big Ten Conference Player of the Year.

The rest of the Wooden All American team, announced last week, from places six through 10, include University of Miami’s Shane Larkin, Indiana University’s Cody Zeller, Duke’s Mason Plumlee, Ohio State University’s DeShaun Thomas and the University of Kansas’ Ben McLemore.

All players proved that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Olynyk graduated in December with a 3.53 GPA in accounting and is currently enrolled in the MBA program at Gonzaga.

Dan Dickau was Gonzaga’s inaugual first-team selection in 2002 and Adam Morrison received the accolcade in 2006. Frank Burgess, 1961, and Blake Stepp in 2004 earned second-team AP honors for the Bulldogs.

Creighton University Doug McDermott is an All-America for the second straight year while Trey Burke the University of Michigan and Otto Porter Jr. of Georgetown University tied as the leading vote-getters for The Associated Press’ first team. Victor Oladipo of Indiana University rounds out the first team.

Olynyk, who redshirted last season, was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year. He averaged 17.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.7 assists/game and 1.1 blocks/game.

Olynyk, a native of Kamloops, British Columbia, became an All-America with a junior season that saw the Bulldogs reach No. 1 for the first time in school history.

“Obviously you believe in yourself, but I didn’t expect it to explode on the scene with this much attention,” said Olynyk, who redshirted last season. “My teammates and coaches believed in me and put me in a position to succeed.”

Burke, the dynamic point guard, and Porter, the smooth, solid forward, both received 62 first-team votes and 319 points from the same 65-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25.

Oladipo, whose all-around play kept the Hoosiers in the No. 1 ranking longer than any other team this season, was third in the voting. McDermott, the efficient scorer, is the 51st repeat selection and the second in as many years following Jared Sullinger of Ohio State.

First Team

(Statistics Through Games of March 17)

Trey Burke, Michigan, 6-0, 190, sophomore, Columbus, Ohio, 19.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 6.7 apg, 40.1 3-pt fg pct, 1.6 steals, 35.2 minutes (62 first-team votes, 319 total points)

Otto Porter Jr., Georgetown, 6-8, 205, sophomore, Morley, Mo., 16.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 42.7 3 pt-fg pct, 1.9 steals, 35.3 minutes (62, 319)

Victor Oladipo, Indiana, 6-5, 214, junior, Upper Marlboro, Md., 13.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 59.9 fg pct, 44.3 3-pt fg pct, 2.2 steals (58, 306)

Doug McDermott, Creighton, 6-8, 225, junior, Ames, Iowa, 23.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 56.1 fg pct, 49.7 3-pt fg pct, 86.0 ft pct (44, 279)

Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga, 7-0, 238, junior, Kamloops, British Columbia, 17.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 65.2 fg pct (47, 278)

Second Team

Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, 6-4, 225, freshman, Flower Mound, Texas, 15.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.2 apg, 2.9 steals (11, 190)

Cody Zeller, Indiana, 7-0, 240, sophomore, Washington, Ind., 16.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 57.3 fg pct, 1.3 blocks (7, 178)

Mason Plumlee, Duke, 6-10, 235, senior, Warsaw, Ind., 17.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, 59.2 fg pct, 1.5 blocks (9, 164)

Shane Larkin, Miami, 5-11, 176, sophomore, Orlando, Fla., 14.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.3 apg, 40.1 3-pt fg pct, 2.0 steals, 36.3 minutes (5, 152)

Ben McLemore, Kansas, 6-5, 195, freshman, St. Louis, 16.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.0 apg, 50.7 fg pct, 43.7 3-pt fg pct, 86.7 ft pct (5, 146)

Third Team

DeShaun Thomas, Ohio State, 6-7, 215, junior, Fort Wayne, Ind., 19.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 83.6 ft pct, 35.3 minutes (3, 122)

Jeff Withey, Kansas, 7-0, 235, senior, San Diego, 13.6 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 57.8 fg pct, 3.8 blocks (5, 114)

Russ Smith, Louisville, 6-0, 165, junior, Brooklyn, N.Y., 18.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.0 steals (2, 80)

Erick Green, Virginia Tech, 6-3, 185, senior, Winchester, Va., 25.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.8 apg, 36.4 minutes (1, 46)

Nate Wolters, South Dakota State, 6-4, 190, senior, St. Cloud, Minn., 22.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 5.8 apg, 1.7 steals, 37.9 minutes (0, 36)

Honorable Mention

Kyle Barone, Idaho; Jerrelle Benimon, Towson; Anthony Bennett, UNLV; Tommy Brenton, Stony Brook; Sherwood Brown, Florida Gulf Coast; Isaiah Canaan, Murray State; Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia; Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse; Ian Clark, Belmont; Jake Cohen, Davidson.

Jack Cooley, Notre Dame; D.J. Cooper, Ohio; Allen Crabbe, California; Aaron Craft, Ohio State; Seth Curry, Duke; Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary’s; Gorgui Dieng, Louisville; James Ennis, Long Beach State; Chris Flores, NJIT; Jamal Franklin, San Diego State.

Ian Hummer, Princeton; Colton Iverson, Colorado State; Joe Jackson, Memphis; Kareem Jamar, Montana; Lamont Jones, Iona; Ray McCallum, Detroit; Rodney McGruder, Kansas State; Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA; Erik Murphy, Florida (1 first-team vote); Mike Muscala, Bucknell.

Stan Okoye, VMI; Jamal Olasewere, LIU Brooklyn; Phil Pressey, Missouri; Augustine Rubit, South Alabama; Peyton Siva, Louisville (1); Taylor Smith, Stephen F. Austin; Omar Strong, Texas Southern; Kendall Williams, New Mexico; Pendarvis Williams, Norfolk State; Khalif Wyatt, Temple.

Olynyk, a junior center from Kamloops, British Columbia, becomes the first NABC honoree for the Bulldogs since Adam Morrison received first-team All-America recognition in 2006.

He is joined on the first team by sophomore guard Trey Burke of the University of Michigan, junior forward Doug McDermott of Creighton University, sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr., of Georgetown University and junior guard Victor Oladipo of Indiana University.

The West Coast Conference Player of the Year, Olynyk averaged 17.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.7 assists/game and 1.1 blocks/game.

Olynyk burst on the scene this season after redshirting the 2012 season to re-tool his game and his body. An inside force, Olynyk shot 62.9 percent (215-for-342) from the field and is currently ranked third nationally.

Off the court he was a Capital One Academic All-America first-team selection, graduating in December with a 3.53 grade-point-average in accounting. He is currently in his first semester of his MBA program.

The Bulldogs went 32-3 this season, the first 30-win season in program history, rose to its inaugural No. 1 ranking in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls and received its first No. 1 seed into the NCAA Tournament.

In addition to Olynyk and Morrison, three other Bulldogs have received NABC All-America team recognition. Frank Burgess was a third-team pick in 1961 after leading the county in scoring with his 32.4 ppg. Dan Dickau in 2002 and Blake Stepp in 2004 were second-team honorees.

2013 NABC DIVISION I ALL-AMERICA TEAMS

FIRST TEAM

Trey Burke, Michigan, 6-0, 190, Sophomore, Guard, Columbus, Ohio

Doug McDermott, Creighton, 6-8, 225, Junior, Forward, Ames, Iowa

Otto Porter, Jr., Georgetown, 6-8, 205, Sophomore, Forward, Morley, Mo.

Victor Oladipo, Indiana, 6-5, 214, Junior, Guard, Upper Marlboro, Md.

Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga, 7-0, 238, Junior, Forward, Kamloops, B.C., Canada

SECOND TEAM

Shane Larkin, Miami, 5-11, 176, Sophomore, Guard, Orlando, Fla.

Ben McLemore, Kansas, 6-5, 185, Freshman, Guard, St. Louis, Mo.

Mason Plumlee, Duke, 6-10, 235, Senior, Forward, Warsaw, Ind.

Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, 6-4, 225, Freshman, Guard, Flower Mound, Texas

Cody Zeller, Indiana, 7-0, 240, Sophomore, Forward, Washington, Ind.

THIRD TEAM

Allen Crabbe, California, 6-6, 210, Junior, Guard, Los Angeles, Calif.

Russ Smith, Louisville, 6-0, 165, Junior, Guard, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State, 6-7, 215, Junior, Forward, Ft. Wayne, Ind.

Jeff Withey, Kansas, 7-0, 235, Senior, Center, San Diego, Calif.

Nate Wolters, South Dakota State, 6-4, 190, Senior, Guard, St. Cloud, Minn.

Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker scored 16 points apiece and Wichita State hit five straight 3-pointers late to knock the top-ranked and No. 1-seeded Bulldogs out of the NCAA tournament 76-70 on Saturday.

The Shockers (28-8) advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time since 2006, while Gonzaga became the first top seed to be eliminated, giving all the Zags doubters an I-told-you-so moment.

The Zags survived a scare in the second round against Southern but couldn’t hold up against a fellow mid-major from Kansas whose motto is “play angry.”

The Shockers face the winner of Sunday’s game between La Salle and Ole Miss.

Wichita State had the Zags down 13 early. Though Gonzaga (32-3) fought back, the barrage of 3s was too much for the small school from Spokane, Wash.

Kelly Olynyk scored 26 points to lead Gonzaga, and Kevin Pangos had 19.

While Gonzaga held the top spot in the AP Top 25 over the final weeks of the season, skeptics thought of the Bulldogs as a soft No. 1 seed that benefited from a relatively easy schedule in the West Coast Conference while other top contenders were getting banged around in the power conferences.

One thing is certain: Wichita State was not intimidated.

“They never quit,” Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said. “You know we got the big lead, Gonzaga makes a great run as a No. 1 team in the country would, and these guys dig down.”

Shockers, for sure.

They showed their grit after Gonzaga’s 12-0 run gave the Bulldogs a 49-41 lead with 11:53 left. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Pangos and Mike Hart started it, Olynyk hit a jumper then a pair of free throws, and Pangos capped it with a steal and fast-break layup.

But Wichita State outscored the Zags 35-21 from there.

The string of five straight 3s began when Tekele Cotton spotted up with 6:05 remaining and hit a shot that cut Wichita State’s seven-point deficit to four.

It ended at the 1:28 mark when Fred Van Vleet, dribbling the ball between his legs, nearly lost it, but gathered himself and threw one up with 1 second left on the shot clock. It went in, the Shockers were ahead 70-65 and the rest of the game was a free-throw-shooting contest.

“I was just disappointed that with 1 second left that we even let him get a 3 off,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “That was a mental error on our part.”

The Shockers, who made just 2-of-20 3-pointers in their 18-point win over Pitt on Thursday, shot 50 percent from beyond the arc and 50 percent overall.

“They deserve ton of credit,” Few said. “It’s the first time in a while someone made 50 percent on us, and to bang in 14 3s (overall) is pretty amazing.”

It was another sudden end to an amazing ride for Gonzaga. The Bulldogs were playing in their 15th straight NCAA tournament but have not advanced past the Round of 16 since 1999.

“I think we just … let our guard down a little bit,” said Hart. “That was key. We defended so well at start of the second half, then we just lost some guys. You can’t do that when guys get it going. You gotta get a hand up and stay close to your assignments. We kinda lost it there a few possessions and that really hurt us.”

While the Zags left disappointed, the Shockers stayed fairly low key in victory.

At one point, Early and teammate Chadrack Lufile jumped up and body slammed each other and the Shockers huddled at midcourt for a long team hug. But largely, Wichita State acted like a team that’s been there before.

“We play together, we stick to our goals, we’re good teammates,” Baker said. He hardly looked fazed.

The game was physical as expected, with Olynyk getting a forearm across his neck in the first half but continuing to go hard at the basket.

Gonzaga’s 39-30 rebounding edge couldn’t make up for 36 percent shooting.

Six different Wichita State players hit 3s in the opening 20 minutes, as the Shockers made 7 of 15 from beyond the arc in the first half, and finished 14 of 28.

“Man, it means a lot,” the Shockers’ Carl Hall said. “It means a lot to this program and our fans deserve this.”

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

Entering the NCAA tournament top-seeded and top-ranked for the first time in program history, the Zags nearly made another kind of history Thursday — coming only a few minutes and a rimmed-out shot or two from becoming the first 1 to lose to a 16.’

Gonzaga prevailed 64-58 over Southern University in a game that wasn’t safely in hand until the final buzzer sounded. No. 1 seeds improved to 113-0 since the field was expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Kelly Olynyk led the Zags (32-2) with 21 points, though it was a pair of 3-pointers — one by Gary Bell Jr., the next by Kevin Pagnos — that gave Gonzaga its small cushion after Southern (23-10) tied things at 56 with 3:45 left.

Bell’s 3 made it 59-56 after Derick Beltran hit a 14-footer on the baseline to close out a 15-4 Southern run and tie the game.

Beltran hit two free throws to cut the deficit to one, but Gonzaga responded by working the ball to Pagnos, whose 3 made it a four-point game.

Yondarius Johnson and Malcom Miller both had open looks on the next possession for Southern but neither could convert.

Pagnos (16 points) made two free throws with 14.3 seconds left to seal the deal. But when Zags coach Mark Few shook hands with his counterpart, Roman Banks, at midcourt, it was hard to tell who won; Banks looked like he was doing the consoling.

Something of a fitting start to the tournament in this season filled with upsets, shifts atop The Associated Press poll and no dominant team.

Critics of Gonzaga felt the West Coast Conference champions got to No. 1 by default more than anything.

The Zags shut out that talk and said they’d take their first game as NCAA tournament front-runners the way they’d taken the previous 33.

But they ran into a team in Southern, enrollment 6,900 out of Baton Rouge, La., and champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, that wasn’t intimidated by the Zags, but rather spent the season trying to emulate them.

The Jaguars spent much of the game bringing back memories of Princeton’s near upset of top-seeded Georgetown in 1989, and East Tennessee State’s one-point loss to No. 1 Oklahoma that same tournament.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

He was joined by Saint Louis University interim coach Jim Crews, University of Miami coach Jim Larranaga and Georgetown University coach John Thompson III.

The finalists were determined by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s national voting academy, which based its criteria on the coaches’ performances to this point in the 2013 men’s college basketball season. The Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year will be announced and honored April 7 in Atlanta.

“Heading into the tournament, we’ve already seen a tremendously exciting season of college basketball, with parity all across the country, which makes it even more impressive what these four coaches have been able to achieve,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “We would be proud to call any of them a Naismith Award winner.”

Few has led the Zags to a program-best 31-2 record, the No. 1 ranking in both the Associated Press and USA Today Top 25 polls and a No. 1 ranking in the West Region heading into the start of Thursday’s NCAA Tournament in Salt Lake City.

The Zags won the West Coast Conference with a 16-0 record and won the WCC Tournament to earn a 15^th straight NCAA Tournament bid and the Zags 16^th appearance overall.

Gonzaga also became the first school from a non-BCS conference to finish No. 1 in the final AP since the University of Massachusetts of the Atlantic 10 in 1996. Few was named the WCC Coach of the Year.

Taking over after the retirement and subsequent death of legendary coach Rick Majerus, Crews led the Billikens to a school-record-tying 27 victories for far this season. The Billikens have a record of 27-6 and won both the Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season and tournament titles. He guided his squad to winning streaks this year of nine and 11 games, and was recently named the A-10 Coach of the Year.

Under Larranaga’s leadership, the Hurricanes won the 2013 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament championships, each the school’s first since joining the league. They went 15-3 in ACC play, 27-6 overall, during the regular season. He was selected by his peers as the ACC Coach of the Year.

Thompson led Georgetown to a 25-6 record this season, including a 14-4 mark in BIG EAST play and a share of the Big East regular season championship. The Hoyas won 11 consecutive games in one stretch, and finished the regular season ranked No. 5 in the country. For his efforts, Thompson III was rewarded by being named the BIG EAST Coach of the Year.

The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 season, has presented the Naismith Trophy every year since UCLA’s Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969. Old Dominion’s Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women’s Naismith Trophy in 1983.

Eight of the 10 honored players are underclassmen – including all five on the first team – and there are six conferences represented on the squad. Based on regular-season performance, the USBWA selects the nation’s top five players on two teams regardless of position.

Joining the Kamloops, British Columbia, native on the first team are Doug McDermott (23.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg) of Creighton, the lone repeat selection; Trey Burke (19.2 ppg, 6.7 assists/game) of Michigan, one of two sophomores on the first team along with Otto Porter (16.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg) of Georgetown, and Victor Oladipo (13.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg) of Indiana who helped the Hoosiers to earn a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Marcus Smart (15.4 ppg, 4.2 assists/game) of Oklahoma State, winner of the Wayman Tisdale Award as the National Freshman of the Year, headlines the second team which also includes Kansas’ Ben McLemore (16.7 ppg, 43.7 3-pt FG pct.). Mason Plumlee of Duke (17.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg), Jeff Withey of Kansas (13.6 ppg, 8.4 rpg) and Cody Zeller of Indiana (16.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg).

Olynyk and the Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 as voted by the sportswriters and also received their inaugural No. 1 seed into the NCAA Tournament. The Zags open tournament play Thursday at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City against No. 16 Southern University. Olynyk is averaging 17.5 ppg and 7.2 rpg.

Olynyk is the first Bulldog to be honored since Adam Morrison in 2006.

Each of the 10 All-American selections is among the Oscar Robertson Trophy finalists. The USBWA’s National Player of the Year Award will be announced on Friday, April 5, in Atlanta in conjunction with the Final Four. The Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Trophy presented by Aflac will be formally presented on Monday, April 15, at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards Gala in Oklahoma City.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. Today, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season.
2012-13 USBWA MEN’S ALL-AMERICA TEAM

First Team

Trey Burke, Michigan, G, 6-0, 190, So., Columbus, Ohio

Doug McDermott, Creighton, F, 6-8, 225, Jr., Ames, Iowa

Victor Oladipo, Indiana, G, 6-5, 214, Jr., Upper Marlboro, Md.

Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga, F, 7-0, 238, Jr., Kamloops, B.C.

Otto Porter, Georgetown, F, 6-8, 205, So., Sikeston, Md.

Second Team

Ben McLemore, Kansas, G, 6-5, 195, Fr., St. Louis, Mo.

Mason Plumlee, Duke, F, 6-10, 235, Sr., Warsaw, Ind.

Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, G, 6-4, 225, Fr., Flower Mound, Texas

Jeff Withey, Kansas, C, 7-0, 235, Sr., San Diego, Calif.

Cody Zeller, Indiana, F, 7-0, 240, So., Washington, Ind.

The game will rematch the two ranked teams which met earlier this season in the State Farm Battle in Seattle won by Gonzaga.

“We are excited to play a game of this significance in a great venue like the INTRUST Bank Arena in a great area like Wichita,” said head coach Bruce Weber.  “I know that our fan base will pack the building with purple as we face one of the best teams in the country.”

Ticket prices for the game at INTRUST Bank Arena start at just $12 each, with an average price below $40, and include a $2 facility fee.  Price points include $200 courtside and $150 VIP lower level seats which both include access to an all-inclusive premium lounge featuring a pre-game meal and open bar, as well as tickets available at $12, $20 and $35 each in the upper level and $75 and $35 each in the lower level.

Tickets will be available for purchase exclusively to K-State men’s basketball season ticket holders and Ahearn Fund members through season ticket renewals this summer, with ticket assignments occurring in order of athletic department priority points.  General public tickets will go on sale on Friday, Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. through Select-A-Seat www.selectaseat.com or by phone at 855-755-7328.  Group ticket rates will be available through Idol Sports at (480) 635.8720.  An allotment of $10 student tickets will be available to K-State students through the athletics ticket office in the fall.  Fans may join the K-State men’s basketball season ticket waiting list by calling 800.221.CATS.

Fans can sign up for additional game information and ticket sales alerts at www.paintwichitapurple.com.

“As part of our commitment to the best fan experience in the Big 12, we are excited to take K-State Basketball to Wichita for the second time in three years,” said athletics director John Currie. “The environment at sold-out INTRUST Bank Arena for the West Virginia game was terrific, and the matchup against Gonzaga presents another great opportunity for our fans and supporters in south-central and southwestern Kansas to attend a Wildcat game and cheer on Coach Weber and our student-athletes.”

The game will mark the second time that K-State has played in the 3-year-old arena after dropping a dramatic 85-80 double-overtime game to West Virginia before a sold-out crowd of 15,004 on Dec. 8, 2011.  The Wildcats will be playing in Wichita for the 21^st time, which includes 15 games against Wichita State and four in the NCAA Tournament at Levitt Arena.

This will be the fourth all-time meeting between K-State and Gonzaga and the third in the last four seasons.  The Wildcats are 2-1 all-time against the Bulldogs, winning 66-64 at home in the Postseason NIT on March 22, 1994 and 81-64 in the semifinals of the CBE Classic at the Sprint Center on Nov. 22, 2010 before dropping a 68-52 decision in the State Farm Battle in Seattle at KeyArena on Dec. 15, 2012.

The No. 12/14 Wildcats ended the regular season with a 25-6 overall record and a 14-4 mark in Big 12 play, capturing their first conference title in 36 seasons.  The 25 wins are the most-ever in the regular season and just the school’s fifth 25-win season, while the 14 conference wins tie the 1958-59 team for the most in school history.  Overall, it is the 18^th conference regular season title in school history and the first since 1977.

Kansas State was selected as a No. 4 seed in the West Regional and will travel to Kansas City, Mo., to play the winner of the 13-seed play-in game between Boise State (21-10) and La Salle (21-9) on Friday, March 22 at the Sprint Center.  The winner will advance to play either No. 5 seed Wisconsin (23-11) and No. 12 seed Ole Miss (26-8) on Sunday, March 24.  The top seeds in the West Regional are No. 1 seed Gonzaga, No. 2 seed Ohio State and No. 3 New Mexico.

The current No. 1 team in country, Gonzaga heads into the NCAA Tournament with a 31-2 overall record after capturing the West Coast Conference regular season and tournament titles.

The Zags earned the school’s first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, earning the West Region’s top seed. The Bulldogs will face No. 16 seed Southern University (23-9) Thursday at the EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. The winner of the Gonzaga/Southern game will play the winner of the University of Pittsburgh/Wichita State University Saturday. Pittsburgh (24-8) is seeded No. 8 and Wichita State (26-8) is seeded No. 9.

Should Kansas State and Gonzaga win their first two games, the State Farm Battle in Seattle rematch will not have to wait until December 21^st in Wichita.  The #4 seed Wildcats could take on #1 seed Bulldogs at Staples Center on March 23^rd in a Sweet Sixteen matchup.