Trio Headline WSU All-Big Sky Selections

Men's Basketball

Courtesy: Weber State
Release: Tuesday 03/03/2011

Courtesy: Robert Casey

Byron Fulton (left), Scott Bamforth (center) and Kyle Bullinger (right) each earned...

OGDEN, Utah -- Scott Bamforth and Kyle Bullinger each earned All-Big Sky Conference All-First Team honors on Thursday as the league office released its 2010-11 Men's Basketball honors.

Northern Colorado senior guard Devon Beitzel was tabbed the league's top player by the coaches, who selected the individual award winners and All-Conference teams. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.

Montana senior Brian Qvale, the conference's all-time shot blocker, was named the Defensive Player of the Year. The Weber State Wildcats claimed the other two individual awards. Sophomore transfer Scott Bamforth (6-2, 190 Soph. / Albuquerque, New Mexico) was named the Newcomer of the Year, and forward Byron Fulton (6-7, 220 RsFr. / Phoenix, Arizona) was tabbed as the Freshman of the Year. It marks the second year in a row the Wildcat have had the "Newcomer of the Year." Last year, junior forward Franklin Session earned the honor. Fulton became the fourth Wildcat since 1986 to win the Freshman of the Year Award. Heas appeared in all 28 games, scoring in double figures 11 times. He averages 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

Beizel and Qvale were unanimous selections to the All-Conference First Team along with Northern Arizona senior Cameron Jones, the only repeat First Team selection. Weber State's Kyle Bullinger (6-6, 215 Jr. / Mountain View, Wyoming) and Bamforth, along with Montana guard, Will Cherry, rounded out the First Team.

The Bamforth/Bullinger duo raised their level of play after 2009-10 league MVP Damian Lillard suffered a season-ending injury nine games into the season. Bamforth, a transfer from Western Nebraska Junior College, averaged 12.3 points per game is one of the top long-distance shooters in the nation. As of Monday, Bamforth led the nation in 3-point shooting accuracy and is currently hitting at a 53.1 percent clip. He ranks second in the league with an average of 2.5 3-pointers per game, and is second behind Beitzel in free-throw percentage at 87.7 percent Bullinger, averages 11 points, 6.2 rebounds per game, and shoots 47.9 percent from the floor and 44.2 percent from the 3-point line.

Lindsey Hughey (6-3, 215 Sr. Guard / Grand Prairie, Texas) and Trevor Morris (6-9, 245 Sr. Center / Nampa, Idaho) earned Honorable Mention Honors. Hughey is WSU's leading scorer this season, averaging 12.9 ppg. Twice, this season, he has been named the Co-Big Sky Conference Player of the Year. He scored a career high 27 points at home vs. Sacramento State and posted two "double/doubles" this season. Morris, who has played in 118 career games for the Wildcats, averages 10 points and four rebounds per game. His is shooting just under 60 percent from the field in his career. He was named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week on Feb 7, following two career scoring nights of 17 points each in home court wins over Montana and Montana State.

Beitzel, a 6-foot-1 standout from Lafayette, Colo., finished the regular season averaging a league-best 21 points per game. Beitzel also leads the league in free-throw shooting (91 percent) and made 3-pointers (74). He ranks third in steals with 1.4 per game, is eighth in field-goal percentage and 13th in 3-point field goal percentage. Beitzel is one of 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Beitzel led Northern Colorado to the regular-season title with a 13-3 league mark. The Bears will host the Big Sky Championship semifinals and championship beginning March 8. Northern Colorado joined the Big Sky in 2006.

Qvale, a 6-11 center from Williston, N.D., earned Defensive Player of the Year on the strength of his blocks, rebounds, and overall presence in the middle of a Grizzly team that ranks first in the Big Sky in scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense and 3-point field-goal percentage defense. Qvale averages 8.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks shots per game. He has 229 career blocked shots, tops in Big Sky history. His 87 blocks so far this season rank second in Big Sky single-season history. Qvale also got it done on the offensive end, averaging 15 points per game and shooting .627 percent from the field. He ranks second in field-goal percentage and third in scoring. Qvale helped Montana to a 20-win regular season and the No. 2 seed in the Big Sky Championship.

Jones, a 6-4 guard from Los Angeles, Calif., ranks second in the league in scoring at 19.8 points per game. He has made 44.1 percent of his 3-point field goals overall and 51.1 percent in conference play. Jones is Northern Arizona's all-time leading scorer and ranks 19th in Big Sky history with 1,574 career points.

Montana's Will Cherry joined Qvale on the top squad. The 6-1 sophomore guard from West Oakland, Calif., leads the league in steals at 2.7 per game. He also ranks seventh in scoring at 14.2 points per game and is third in assists with 4.4 per game.

Eastern Washington's Glen Dean, Montana State's Bobby Howard, Northern Colorado's Neal Kingman, Portland State's Charles Odum and Northern Arizona's Gabe Rogers were selected to the All-Conference Second Team.

Individual Award Winners

MVP
Devon Beitzel, Northern Colorado

Newcomer of the Year
Scott Bamforth, Weber State

Freshman Of the Year
Byron Fulton, Weber State

Defensive Player of the Year
Brian Qvale, Montana

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

FIRST TEAM

Player School Position Hgt Year Hometown

Scott Bamforth Weber State Guard 6-2 Sophomore Albuquerque, N.M.

*Devon Beitzel Northern Colorado Guard 6-1 Senior Lafayette, Colo.

Kyle Bullinger Weber State Forward 6-6 Junior Mountain View, Wyo.

Will Cherry Montana Guard 6-1 Sophomore West Oakland, Calif.