Byu Has New Coach

Steve Cleveland, who has never coached major college basketball, was named to take up the reins of a Brigham Young University program coming off its worst season, 1-25.

Cleveland is completing his seventh season as coach at Fresno City College, a junior college where he had compiled a 156-76 record. The Rams currently are ranked No. 1 in California with a 30-3 record.

Kevin O’Neill has accepted the head basketball coaching job at Northwestern, a school that has never been to the NCAA tournament.

O’Neill, 40, decided to leave Tennessee, where he spent the last three years after leaving Marquette and was in the midst of restructuring the Vols’ program with two of the nation’s top recruiting classes.

Northern Arizona’s Charles Thomas was named the Big Sky Conference’s Most Valuable Player as the league announced its award winners and all-conference team.

Another Northern Arizona player, junior Andrew Mavis, was selected Newcomer of the Year, as well as an all-league team member. Ross Land, also from Northern Arizona, and Ryan Jama of Weber State were named Co-Freshmen of the Year.

Other members of the allconference team include Nate Green and Rob Preston of Idaho State; J.R. Camel and Kirk Walker of Montana; Nate Holmstadt and Danny Sprinkle of Montana State, and Ryan Cuff, Alex Fisher and Damien Baskerville of Weber State.

For Eastern Washington, senior Travis King and junior Karim Scott were among the 10 players to receive honorable mention.