Gaines Named WAC Coach of Year
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DENVER — Coach David (Smokey) Gaines of San Diego State University was named the Western Athletic Conference basketball coach of the year, WAC commissioner Joe Kearney announced Sunday.
Kearney said Timo Saarelainen, a forward for Brigham Young, was named player of the year in voting by the WAC’s nine coaches and athletic directors.
Gaines is in his sixth season as Aztec coach and has compiled a 142-82 record in his eight years as a head coach. This season’s 21-7 record is his best with San Diego State.
The Aztecs will play in the semifinal round of the WAC tournament on March 8.
Saarelainen is the WAC’s leading scorer with 22.8 points per game. The 6-foot 6-inch senior from Helsinki, Finland, did not play for BYU in the 1983-84 season so he could be a member of the Finnish national team.
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