Armondo Surratt Named WCC Newcomer of the Year, All-WCC

Feb. 28, 2006

Armondo Surratt, the former Oakland Tech star who led the Dons in scoring and assists after transferring in from Miami (FL), has been named West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year, the league office announced today. Surratt was also selected on the All-West Coast Conference squad.

Surratt, a junior, averaged 14.5 points, 5.11 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.5 rebounds over the season and 15.7 points, 4.5 assists, 1.9 steals and 2.4 rebounds in WCC play. In overall play, he ranked twelfth in scoring among league players, first in assists, and fourth in steals, while during league action he was tenth in scoring, third in assists and third in steals.

USF forward Alan Wiggins, Jr. was named honorable mention all-WCC. He averaged 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.11 blocks over the season and 14.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in WCC play. In overall play, Alan was thirteenth in scoring, third in rebounding first in blocked shots and fifth in field goal percentage (51.8), while in WCC play he ranked thirteenth in scoring, third in rebounding, eighth in field goal percentage, first in blocked shots and eighth in field goal percentage (49.3%).

"I am very excited for Armondo to receive the newcomer of the year award," said Dons' Head Coach Jessie Evans. "He has to be very excited about that. But as much as I am excited for Armondo, I am just as deeply disappointed that Alan Wiggins, Jr. did not make the team. Alan had a great value to our team and it showed both in our games and in the statistics where he was among the league leaders in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and led the conference in blocked shots. I thought for sure that he would be one that they would select."

USF will open West Coast Conference tournament play in Spokane on Saturday (6:00 p.m.) as the number four seed and will play the winner of Friday night's San Diego (#5) - Pepperdine (#8) matchup.

First Team All-WCC
J.P. Batista, GON
Pooh Jeter, POR
Daniel Kickert, SMC
Matthew Knight, LMU
Nick Lewis, USD
Adam Morrison, GON
Travis Niesen, SCU
Armondo Surratt, USF
Wes Wardrop, LMU
Brandon Worthy, LMU

Honorable Mention
Corey Belser, USD; Darren Cooper, POR;
Ross DeRogatis, USD; Tashaan Forehan-Kelly, PEP;
Alan Wiggins, Jr., USF

All-Freshmen
John Bryant, SCU, Michael Gerrity, PEP, Brandon Johnson, USD,
Gyno Pomare, USD, Diamon Simpson, SMC

Player of the Year
Adam Morrison, GON

Coach of the Year
Mark Few, GON