Gonzaga’s Mark Few named finalist for Naismith coach of the year

Gonzaga’s Mark Few is one of four candidates for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award.

Finalists include Baylor’s Scott Drew, Michigan’s Juwan Howard and Alabama’s Nate Oats.

Few guided No. 1 Gonzaga to the program’s first undefeated regular season. The Zags (26-0) are just the fifth unbeaten team to enter the NCAA Tournament since Indiana (32-0) ran the table in 1976.

Gonzaga is the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.

Few won the Naismith award in 2017 when the Zags reached the national championship game.

Fans can vote on Naismith awards from Friday through March 31 by visiting naismithfanvote.com.

More honors for Few, Kispert, Suggs, Timme

Another day, another first-team All-America designation for Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert.

The senior wing was named first-team All-America by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).

He joins Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu and Iowa’s Luka Garza as finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy award, presented to the national player of the year by the USBWA.

Garza, Dosunmu, Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham and Baylor’s Jared Butler joined Kispert on the first team.

Gonzaga sophomore Drew Timme and freshman Jalen Suggs were second-team selections, along with Michigan’s Hunter Dickinson, Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn and USC’s Evan Mobley.

Suggs is one of four candidates for the Wayman Tisdale Award, presented to the freshman of the year. Cunningham, Dickinson and Mobley also are finalists.

Few, Baylor’s Drew, Michigan’s Howard and Alabama’s Oats are finalists for the Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award.

Kispert averages 19.2 points on 54.4% shooting from the field, 44.4% accuracy on 3-pointers and 89.8% at the free-throw line.

Timme connected on 65.6% of his shots and averages 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

Suggs, the first freshman on Gonzaga’s all-time list of 11 All-Americans, contributes 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists.