Gonzaga’s Drew Timme named WCC co-player of the year, joined on first team by Julian Strawther

Gonzaga senior forward Drew Timme was voted West Coast Conference co-Player of the Year, sharing the award with Santa Clara guard Brandin Podziemski.

Timme becomes the first to repeat as WCC Player of the Year since Gonzaga’s Blake Stepp in 2003-04.

Timme was joined on the All-WCC first team by GU junior wing Julian Strawther. Senior forward Anton Watson was honorable mention. Gonzaga guard Malachi Smith was voted sixth man of the year.

Podziemski was named top newcomer. Saint Mary’s guard Logan Johnson was voted top defender and the Gaels’ Randy Bennett was voted top coach.

The All-WCC teams and individual awards are voted on by the conference’s 10 head coaches.

It’s the first time since 2016 the Zags didn’t have at least three first-team selections. They had four in 2021 and 2019. Watson had strong credentials to continue Gonzaga’s streak with at least three first-team selections, but he didn’t make the 10-player first team or five-player second team.

“Smh (shaking my head),” Strawther tweeted shortly after the WCC honors were released, “shoulda been first team and DPOY (defensive player of the year).”

Timme stretches Gonzaga’s player of the year streak to five years. He’s won the last two, preceded by Corey Kispert (2021), Filip Petrusev (2020) and Rui Hachimura (2019). GU players have been named player of the year 17 times in the past 23 seasons.

Timme is a three-time first-team selection. The two-time All-American averages 21.2 points on 61.6% shooting, second in the WCC to Watson’s 61.8%. Timme entered Wednesday night’s regular-season finale vs. Chicago State 38 points behind Gonzaga all-time leading scorer Frank Burgess.

Timme is eighth on the WCC all-time scoring list with 2,158 points, 11 behind No. 7 Anthony Ireland. The Zags are 115-12 in Timme’s 127 career games.

Strawther, who was honorable mention last year, averages 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 43% accuracy on 3-pointers and 77.1% on free throws – all career highs. He posted a career-best 40 points against Portland.

Smith, a transfer from Chattanooga, is fifth on the team in scoring (8.5) and connects on 49.3% behind the 3-point line. He’s sixth in the WCC at 55.6% from the field in conference games. He’s scored 1,561 points in his four collegiate seasons.

No. 10 Gonzaga and No. 17 Saint Mary’s shared the regular-season title. The Gaels were the lone team with three first-team selections: Johnson, Mitchell Saxen and Aidan Mahaney, who also made the all-freshman team. Alex Ducas was honorable mention.

Podziemski and Carlos Stewart made the first team for third-place Santa Clara. Podziemski ranks third in the WCC in scoring (19.9) and second in rebounding (8.8).

San Francisco guards Khalil Shabazz and Tyrell Roberts, a transfer from Washington State, and Loyola Marymount’s Cam Shelton also made first team.

San Diego’s Marcellus Earlington, Santa Clara’s Keshawn Justice, Pepperdine’s Maxwell Lewis, BYU’s Fousseyni Traore and Portland’s Moses Wood were second-team selections. It’s the first time BYU, which exits the WCC for the Big 12 next season, didn’t have a first-team representative since joining the conference in 2012.

Pacific’s Keylan Boone, BYU’s Spencer Johnson, Portland’s Tyler Robertson and LMU’s Keli Leaupepe joined Watson and Ducas on the honorable mention list. Mahaney was joined on the all-freshman team by Juan Sebastian Gorosito, Portland; Dallin Hall, BYU; Moe Odum, Pacific; and Jevon Porter, Pepperdine.