2020-21 Big West All-Conference Team

UC Santa Barbara guard JaQuori McLaughlin earned Player of the Year honors to highlight the announcement of the 2020-21 Big West men’s basketball all-conference teams. The UCSB awards haul also included Joe Pasternack as the Coach of the Year. Two other schools also claimed hardware as CSUN junior TJ Starks received Newcomer of the Year accolades while UC Irvine guard Dawson Baker earned Freshman of the Year honors. The conference’s 11 head coaches voted for the awards.

JaQUORI McLAUGHLIN, UC SANTA BARBARA
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Senior • Guard • Tacoma, Wash. • Oregon State
• First Player of the Year from UC Santa Barbara since 2014 (Alan Wiliams)
• Seventh Gaucho all-time to receive the marquee award, following Williams, Orlando Johnson (2010), Alex Harris (2008), Branduinn Fullove (2003), Lucius Davis (1992) and Brian Shaw (1988)
• Ranked in the Big West top 10 in six statistical categories, including fourth in scoring (15.6 PPG) and free throw percentage (.868), second in assists (5.4 APG), sixth in steals (1.6 SPG), third in assist-to-turnover ratio (+2.6) and eighth in minutes played (31.8 MPG).
• Tied for second in the Big West with six 20-point games
• Posted a double-double of 19 points and 10 assists in win versus Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 2
• Third player in school history to surpass career milestones of 1,000 points and 300 assists

TJ STARKS, CSUN
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Junior • Guard • Oak Cliff, Texas • High Point
• Second Matador in the last three years to earn the Newcomer of the Year award (Lamine Diane, 2019)
• Transfer from Texas A&M was the Big West’s top scorer in both overall (21.6 PPG) and conference (23.7 PPG) games
• His 21.6 PPG ranks seventh nationally
• Led all Big West players with 11 games of 20 points or more – five more than the next player.  Had career-high 31 points against Hawai‘i
• Averaged 25.8 PPG over the last six games, tallying 11 or more field goals in four
• Ranked seventh in Big West in three-point field goals made (1.9) and was second on the team in assists (59) and steals (27)

DAWSON BAKER, UC IRVINE
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Guard • Coto De Caza, Calif. • Capistrano Valley HS
• First Anteater to be recognized as top frosh since Luke Nelson in 2014
• Sixth player in program history to collect the award, joining Nelson, Alex Young (2013), Jerry Green (1999), Kevin Simmons (1995) and Ben McDonald (1981)
• Ranked second among all Big West freshmen and second on the team in scoring (10.6 PPG)
• Ranked 11th overall in the Big West in field goal percentage (.484)
• Tied for second on the team with 21 steals

JOE PASTERNACK, UC SANTA BARBARA
COACH OF THE YEAR
• First career Big West Coach of the Year honor
• Only third individual in program history to receive the top coaching honor (Bob Williams, Jerry Pimm) – and first since 2010
• Led Gauchos to 19-4 overall mark and 13-3 record in Big West play
• Guided Gauchos to their first Big West regular season title since 2010, first outright title since 2003 and fifth overall in program history
• Under his guidance, UCSB ranks first in scoring defense (62.1 PPG), scoring margin (+13.7), field goal percentage (.486) and assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.5)

The All-Big West First Team features a two-time all-conference member in UC Irvine junior Collin Welp. First-time recipients include UC Santa Barbara teammates JaQuori McLaughlin and Amadou Sow, CSUN junior TJ Starks, UC Riverside senior Arinze Chidom and CSU Bakersfield senior Taze Moore.