Deonte Burton- Nevada- Guard- Sophomore
It would be hard to give anyone else the WAC Player of the Year honor. While Burton didn’t single-handedly lead the Wolf Pack to the regular season title, the sophomore ranked within the conference’s top 10 in seven categories including average points-per-game and assists. Burton’s most impressive performance of the season came in an overtime victory against Pac-12 powerhouse Washington, in which the sophomore posted 31 points, six assists and six rebounds.
Kyle Barone- Idaho- Center- Junior
Barone was as reliable as they come for Idaho this season, proving to be one of the WAC’s most dominant big men. Scoring in double digits in six of the Vandals’ last nine games, the junior added at least eight rebounds in seven of those nine. As the conference’s No. 5 rebounder, Barone had eight double-doubles on the season and the fourth-most blocked shots in the conference.
Wendell McKines- New Mexico State- Forward- Senior
A physical monster inside the paint, McKines is undoubtedly an NBA-caliber player. As a senior, the Oakland, Calif., native led the conference in scoring and rebounding, averaging more than 18 points and 10.8 rebounds per game with 18 double-doubles. McKines led an oversized Aggie team to the No. 2 seed at the WAC tournament and scored at least 25 points on four occasions this season.
Vander Joaquim- Hawaii- Center- Junior
With all eyes on University of Arizona transfer Zane Johnson, Joaquim made drastic improvements offensively to end the season averaging 14 points per game. The Warriors finished lower in the WAC than expected, but Joaquim became a nightmare for opponents with his overwhelming post presence. The Angola native held a mismatch on most defenders and concluded the season with a top-three field goal percentage.
Preston Medlin- Utah State- Guard- Sophomore
All looked grim for Stew Morrill’s Aggies when their season took a turn for the worst after Brady Jardine’s season-ending injury in the third game. Few expected Medlin to be a factor this season after redshirting the 2010-2011 season, but the sophomore ignited offensively and concluded as the WAC’s No. 3 scorer. Medlin’s 53 percent mark from 3-point range led all players and he scored at least 20 points on 10 occasions.