Baker, Miglinieks Take Top Honors in Big West Conference

Rod Baker and Raimonds Miglinieks, who led UC Irvine to its best record in a decade, were voted the Big West Conference men’s coach and player of the year by the coaches, the conference announced Tuesday.

“It’s a nice part to this season,” said Baker, in his fifth season at UCI. “It’s not the end-all be-all to the season, but it’s nice when your peers think well of you.”

Baker’s Anteaters were 15-11, 11-7 in the Big West. The records are their best since the 1985-86 season (17-13, 12-6), when UC Irvine was second in the conference.

This is the first season the Anteaters have had a winning season under Baker.

Miglinieks, a senior point guard from Latvia, is Baker’s on-court leader.

He averages 13.7 points and leads the nation in assists at 8.6. Miglinieks is the Anteaters’ all-time assists leader with 468 in two seasons.

“This feels great,” Miglinieks said. “There are so many good players in the [conference] who can get [the] award. It’s an honor.”

Baker said of Miglinieks: “Raimonds’ brilliance doesn’t necessarily sneak up on you. His skills don’t get hidden, and he’s obviously the best there is in the country right now at what he does.”

Joining Miglinieks on the all-conference first team were sophomore guard James Cotton and senior guard Rasul Salahuddin of Long Beach, senior center Eric Franson of Utah State, senior center Daniel Watts of Nevada and sophomore forward Olivier Saint-Jean of San Jose State.

Cotton is the Big West’s leading scorer with an average of 19.7 points. Salahuddin leads the conference in steals at 3.6, and Franson won player of the year last season. Irvine forward Kevin Simmons and guard Brian Keefe, both sophomores, made the second team, and Long Beach senior forward Juaquin Hawkins received honorable mention.

Long Beach Coach Seth Greenberg said he is upset that Hawkins was only an honorable mention and Akeli Jackson, the 49ers’ standout sophomore power forward, was not chosen to the teams.

“Rod’s my friend and I’m very happy for Rod,” Greenberg said. “But all those guys who didn’t vote for Juaquin Hawkins, they wouldn’t want him on their team?”

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Anita Maxwell, a senior forward at New Mexico State, was honored with her third consecutive women’s player of the year award, and UC Santa Barbara Coach Mark French was selected coach of the year for the second time.

Long Beach center Ja’net Davis and Irvine center Allah-mi Basheer, both seniors, joined Maxwell on the first team. Shayla Bradshaw, a sophomore guard at Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach senior guard Akia Hardy and Irvine sophomore forward Leticia Oseguera were second-team selections.

Fullerton freshman center Dee Braxton and Kim Barfield, a Long Beach senior forward, were honorable-mention selections.

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Big West Tournaments

Here’s a look at the Big West Conference basketball tournaments, starting Thursday in Reno. The men’s and women’s winners advance to the NCAA tournaments.

THURSDAY

* Pacific vs. Long Beach State women, 6 p.m.

* New Mexico State vs. UC Irvine women, 8

FRIDAY

* UC Santa Barbara women vs. Pacific/Long Beach State winner, 12:30 p.m.

* Hawaii women vs. New Mexico State/Irvine winner, 2:30

* Utah State vs. Nevada men, 6

* Pacific vs. San Jose State men, 8

SATURDAY

* Women’s final, 1 p.m.

* Long Beach State men vs. Utah State/Nevada winner, 6

* UC Irvine men vs. Pacific/San Jose winner, 9

SUNDAY

* Men’s final, noon

Television: Men’s final, ESPN (2 p.m. Sunday). Women’s final, Prime Network (delayed Saturday); UC Irvine’s Saturday game, ESPN2

Notes: Game times listed are Pacific Standard; games will start about 30 minutes after the previous game ends