4:15PM | Junior Casper Ware became the first basketball player in Big West Conference history to be named both the Big West Conference Player of the Year and the Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year in a vote of the league’s coaches announced today. 

Ware swept the two premier awards to highlight a banner day for the 49ers, who saw head coach Dan Monson earn Big West Conference Coach of the Year honors, while all five starters earned a spot on one of the all-conference teams.

Ware and Larry Anderson were named first-team All-Big West Conference, while T.J. Robinson earned second-team honors and Greg Plater and Eugene Phelps garnered honorable-mention all-league recognition. It is the first time that five players on a team have been recognized since 2008, when Cal State Northridge had one player named first-team all-league, two players named second-team all-league and two players named honorable mention all-league.

Ware (Cerritos/Gahr High School) is the first 49er to win the player of the year award since Aaron Nixon earned the honor in 2007 and the eighth LBSU player all-time. In addition to Nixon, he joins Mate Milisa (2000), Lloyd McMillian (1977), Bobby Gross (1975), Leonard Gray (1974), Ed Ratleff (1973 and 1974) and George Trapp (1970 and 1971) as 49ers to win conference player of the year honors. 

He is also the only 49er to ever win the defensive player of the year award.

Ware led Long Beach State in scoring (16.9 ppg), assists (141) and steals (53), while also finishing second in 3-pointers made (61). Ware finished the regular season third in the conference in scoring, while also ranking second in assists (4.70 apg), fourth in steals (1.77 spg), sixth in free-throw percentage (.818), seventh in 3-point field goals made (2.03 per game) and eighth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.384). He ranks among LBSU’s all-time single-season leaders in free throws made (fifth), assists (11th), free throws attempted (12th), 3-point field goals made (14th), steals (16th) and 3-pointers attempted (16th). 

Ware was one of 20 finalists for the Bob Cousy award honoring the nation’s best point guard, and he claimed Big West Conference Player of the Week honors once after leading the 49ers to wins at UC Davis and Cal State Northridge. Defensively he spearheaded an attack that, in Big West games, helped limit opponents to 60 points or less on seven occasions, all resulting in 49er victories. LBSU was 12-0 in conference play when it held the opponent under 70 points. Ware was a second-team all-league pick as a sophomore and was on the all-freshman team his first season at LBSU.

Anderson (Long Beach/Jordan High School) claimed first-team all-league honors for the second time in three seasons, with his first award coming during his freshman season in 2008-09. The junior finished the regular season averaging 14.3 points and 6 rebounds. He ranked among the Big West leaders in eight of 12 statistical categories, where he was first in steals (1.88 spg), third in field goal percentage (.541), eighth in blocked shots (0.87 bpg), ninth in rebounding (6.0 rpg) and 10th in assists (4.70 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.75) and offensive rebounds (1.75 rpg). 

Anderson earned Big West Conference Player of the Week honors three times, including the first two weeks of the conference season after he missed the previous six games with a broken hand. In addition to being a first-team all-league selection as a freshman, he was named Big West Conference Freshman of the Year and was a member of the league’s all-freshman team.

Robinson (West Haven, Conn./Kolbe Cathedral High School) earned second-team honors a year after being a first-team all-league pick last season. The junior finished the regular season with 15 double-doubles to run his career total to 37. He averaged a double-double for the second straight year, finishing the regular season averaging 13.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He finished second in the Big West Conference in rebounding, and also ranked among the league leaders in field goal percentage (third), offensive rebounds (fourth) and defensive rebounds (second).

He was named the Big West Conference Player of the Week after scoring a career-high 31 points at North Carolina. Robinson ranks 19th in the nation in double-doubles and 20th in rebounds per game. His 302 rebounds this season are the seventh most in a season at LBSU.

Plater (Salem, Ore./McKay High School) earned honorable mention all-league after leading the Big West Conference in 3-point field goals made (2.83 per game), which also ranks 25th in the nation. Plater, who is averaging 11.8 points per game, was a member of the Big West Conference All-Freshman Team after the 2007-08 season.

Phelps (Los Angeles/Taft High School) was named honorable mention all-league after leading the 49ers in blocked shots (26), while averaging 10.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He finished the regular season among the Big West leaders in blocked shots (fifth), rebounding (sixth) and offensive rebounding (sixth).

Monson was named the Big West Conference Coach of the Year after leading the 49ers to the Big West regular season championship and the top seed in this week’s Big West Conference Tournament. The 49ers finished the regular season 20-10 (14-2 Big West), despite playing one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. The coach of the year award is the second for Monson, who was named the West Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 1998.