PULLMAN, Wash. — The Pac-12 conference released their annual performance awards on Tuesday and Washington State University brought home some hardware.
Washington State freshman guard Myles Rice won the Freshman of the Year award. Rice was one of two freshmen who ranked in the top-15 for points, assists and steals on the season. The 2023-2024 season was Rice’s first playing after he missed the previous season while receiving treatment for Hodgkins Lymphoma.
Rice is WSU’s first true Freshman of the Year; Bryan Rison won the league’s first ever Rookie of the Year award as a junior transfer in the 78-79 season.
That wasn’t the only award won by WSU.
Head Coach Kyle Smith took home the John R. Wooden Coach of the Year award. Coach Smith took a team that lost four starters from the year before and has them on the brink of their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2008.
The Cougs were picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12 this year but ended up finishing in second place right behind top-seeded Arizona.
Smith joined former WSU coaches George Raveling, Kelvin Sampson and Tony Bennett to earn the Conference's Coach of the Year honor. It's also his first Coach of the Year award.
WATCH RELATED: WSU Head Basketball Coach Kyle Smith talked about being ranked for the first time in 16 years
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