Harrison Named WAC Player of the Year, First-Team All-WAC
3/10/2015 10:15:00 AM | Men's Basketball
(Las Vegas, Nev.) – Sophomore guard Martez Harrison was named the 2015 WAC Player of the Year on Tuesday, as voted upon by the league's coaches. He was also picked first-team All-WAC, while senior forward Reese Holliday earned All-Newcomer Team honors.
Harrison, the Kansas City, Mo. native, is the second UMKC player to ever earn league Player of the Year Honors, the first since Michael Jackson in 1999-00. He led the WAC in scoring (17.8 ppg), steals (1.87 spg), free throws made (163) and attempted (221), while ranking third in assists (3.84 apg). A product of University Academy, he also ranked among the league top 10 in threes made (46), free throw percentage (.738) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.45).
Harrison is the only player in UMKC history to be named Freshman of the Year (2014) and Player of the Year (2015) in his career, and has accomplished it in only two years. He enters this week's WAC Tournament with 1,066 career points, ranking 10th all-time, and got to 1,000 points in only 58 games, the fourth-fastest ever. He had a streak of 43 straight games in double-figure points as well, ranking second all-time.
Holliday, a product of Kansas City, Kan. and Sumner Academy, was named to the WAC All-Newcomer team after transferring back home from Toledo last year. He averaged 11.7 points a game in WAC play, and has scored double-figures in 8 of his last 10 games. He is 15th in scoring for WAC only games, and 20th in rebounding at 4.4 per contest. He also ranks ninth overall with a .741 free throw percentage.
The pair helped UMKC to second place in the WAC, matching its highest conference finish ever, and highest since 2004-05. UMKC is also the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament for just the second time ever, along with that same 2004-05 team.
The second-seeded 'Roos will face seventh-seeded Texas-Pan American on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. CT/4:30 p.m. PT in the quarterfinal round of the WAC Tournament. The first two rounds of the WAC Tournament will be streamed on the WAC Digital Network, while the championship will be televised on ESPNU.
2014-15 All-WAC Teams
First Team All-WAC
Aly Ahmed Bakersfield Jr C 6-9 Alexandria, Egypt (Midland College)
Martez Harrison Missouri-Kansas City So G 5-11 Kansas City, Mo. (Brewster Academy)
Daniel Mullings New Mexico State Sr. G 6-2 Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Laurier)
Pascal Siakam New Mexico State Fr. F 6-9 Douala, Cameroon (God's Academy)
Isiah Umipig Seattle U Sr. G 6-0 Federal Way, Wash. (Cal State Fullerton)
Second Team All-WAC
Remi Barry New Mexico State Sr. F 6-8 Paris, France (Del Oro)
Jarell Flora Seattle U Sr. G 6-3 Bremerton, Wash. (Bremerton)
Janari Joesaar Texas-Pan American So. F 6-6 Tartu, Estonia (Ole Miss)
Tshilidzi Nephawe New Mexico State Sr. C 6-10 Johannesburg, So. Africa (Stoneridge Prep)
DeWayne Russell Grand Canyon Jr. G 5-11 Peoria, Ariz. (Northern Arizona)
All-Defensive Team
Jerome Garrison Grand Canyon Sr. G 6-3 Phoenix, Ariz. (Mountain Pointe)
Dan Kimasa Texas-Pan American Fr. F 6-9 Kigali City, Rwanda (Tampa Bay Christian)
Kevin Mays Bakersfield Jr. F 6-4 Queens, N.Y. (Odessa College)
Daniel Mullings New Mexico State Sr. G 6-2 Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Laurier)
Pascal Siakam New Mexico State Fr. F 6-9 Douala, Cameroon (God's Academy)
All-Newcomer Team
Josh Braun Grand Canyon Fr. G 6-4 Anthem, Ariz. (Westwind Prep Academy)
Reese Holliday Missouri-Kansas City Sr. F 6-4 Kansas City, Kan. (Toledo)
Janari Joesaar Texas-Pan American So. F 6-6 Tartu, Estonia (Ole Miss)
DeWayne Russell Grand Canyon Jr. G 5-11 Peoria, Ariz. (Northern Arizona)
Pascal Siakam New Mexico State Fr. F 6-9 Douala, Cameroon (God's Academy)
Player of the Year: Martez Harrison, Missouri-Kansas City
Freshman of the Year: Pascal Siakam, New Mexico State
Don Haskins Coach of the Year: Marvin Menzies, New Mexico State
