March 6, 2001

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State's Shawn Daniels was today named the Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year as voted on by the league's players. Daniels was also named to the conference's first-team on Monday for the second straight season.

Daniels, a 6-6 senior forward from Bakersfield, Calif., led the league in blocked shots, averaging 1.69 per game, and ranked third in rebounds (6.7). He was also second in the conference in field-goal percentage (60.4), and 12th in scoring (12.1).

Daniels is third all-time at Utah State in blocked shots with 107 and his 1.7 blocks per game average ranks first all-time at USU. He tied the single-season record for blocked shots last season with 58 and currently has 49 this year. Daniels has also averaged 7.3 rebounds per game during his career which ranks 17th all-time in Aggie history.

Other awards announced today by the Big West Conference were Best Sixth Man of the Year and Best Hustle Player. Jerald Jenkins of Idaho won the sixth man award, and Ron Johnson of Long Beach State received the best hustle award.

The three Specialty Team awards are being given for the first time in the history of the Big West Conference.

Utah State, currently 24-5 on the season will be the second seed in the 2001 Big West Conference Tournament held in Anaheim, Calif., at the Anaheim Convention Center from Mar. 8-10. USU will face the seventh seed and play Cal State Fullerton in its first-round match-up at 3:30 p.m. (MST) on Thursday, Mar. 8. The Aggies are the defending Big West Conference champions.