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WSU Men's Basketball

WSU’s Kyle Smith named NABC District 19 coach of the year, Isaac Jones makes first team

Washington State head coach Kyle Smith talks during an NCAA tournament selection party on Sunday, March 17, 2024, at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman. (Geoff Crimmins/For The Spokesman-Review)
By Greg Woods gregw@spokesman.com(509) 459-5587

Ahead of its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years, the awards keep rolling in for Washington State.

The latest ones come from the National Association of Basketball Coaches, which named WSU coach Kyle Smith its District 19 coach of the year. Forward Isaac Jones landed on the first team, while guard Myles Rice checked in on the second.

All-District honors are voted on by NABC-member coaches across NCAA Division I.

Smith, who has guided the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008, has also led WSU to one of its best seasons ever. This season, the Cougs tied a program record with 14 conference wins, and they finished second in the Pac-12 standings.

Seventh-seeded WSU, coming off a defeat to Colorado in last week’s Pac-12 Tournament semifinals, meets 10th-seeded Drake on Thursday night in Omaha, Nebraska.