PACIFIC 10 CONFERENCE : O’Bannon Shares Award; Harrick Coach of Year

Jim Harrick, bypassed three years ago when UCLA won the Pacific 10 Conference title, was named 1994-95 conference coach of the year for the first time and Ed O’Bannon was voted co-player of the year, the conference announced Friday.

“It’s nice to be voted by your fellow coaches,” said Harrick, in his seventh season at UCLA.

Harrick’s honor was the first for a Bruin coach since Gary Cunningham in 1979. In 1991-’92, the last time UCLA won the Pac-10 title, USC’s George Raveling got the award.

“I think he deserves it,” O’Bannon said of Harrick. “He’s gone through a whole lot, and I think he’s done a great job this year.”

O’Bannon, who tied with Arizona guard Damon Stoudamire as player of the year, is UCLA’s first player of the year since Kenny Fields in 1983.

O’Bannon, who made the all-conference team for the third consecutive season, is the Pac-10’s No. 2 scorer with 20.5 points a game, No. 4 rebounder at 8.1 and second-most accurate three-point shooter at 46.9%.

Stoudamire leads the conference in scoring with a 23-point average and in assists with 7.4.

Joining O’Bannon on the all-conference team, also for the third year in a row, was senior point guard Tyus Edney. UCLA’s Toby Bailey and J.R. Henderson were named to the all-freshman team.

Also making the all-conference team were Brent Barry of Oregon State, Mario Bennett of Arizona State, Dion Cross and Brevin Knight of Stanford, Mark Hendrickson of Washington State, Ray Owes of Arizona and Orlando Williams of Oregon. California’s Tremaine Fowlkes was freshman of the year.

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UCLA assistant Lorenzo Romar had an introductory meeting with Nevada Las Vegas officials Friday in Las Vegas concerning the coaching vacancy there, and was back in Westwood for practice Friday afternoon. Romar also was introduced to Oregon State administrators Thursday.