SAN MATEO, Calif. — Saint Mary's men's basketball scored some big awards on Wednesday morning as the West Coast Conference announced its annual All-WCC teams. For the second year in a row, the Gaels land four players on the All-WCC team, with Logan Johnson being named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. Randy Bennett has also been named the WCC's Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his historic career.
 
As a guard, Johnson doesn't put up block totals or rebounding numbers like some of the best big men in the country, but he locks down defenders as well as any player in the WCC. His overall defensive game has taken a huge step forward this season, which has helped lead the Gaels to the fourth-best scoring defense in the NCAA. Johnson has 48 steals on the year, which ranks sixth in the conference, but his 144 as a Gael are the fifth most in program history. He also has set a career-best in rebounding average at 4.9 per game.
 
Not only was Johnson named the league's Defensive Player of the Year, but also lands First Team All-WCC honors. His all-around game has improved in his fifth collegiate season, leading the Gaels in points per game (14.7), assists (114), and free throws (90). His numbers are on another level in WCC games, where Johnson averaged 17.7 points per game and shot 49.5% from the floor. He finishes the season on a tear, averaging 25.2 points per game over his last six games, including five games of at least 27 points during that span.
 
Aidan Mahaney was named First Team All-WCC as a freshman, which also puts him on the All-Freshman team in the conference. This puts Mahaney in rare air, joining Patty Mills as the only other Gael to be named to the All-WCC team as a freshman. He is the leading scorer for a freshman in the conference (14.6 points per game), a rank that is top-15 in the entire NCAA. He owns the second-most 20-point games by a Saint Mary's freshman, again behind Mills, and ends the regular season shooting 40.9% from beyond the arc.
 
Mitchell Saxen has seen a meteoric rise in his stock this season after joining the Gaels starting lineup, and he's made the most of it, finishing with first team honors. After making every start during the regular season, Saxen ranks amongst some of the best big men in the conference in points per game (11.8), rebounds per game (8.0, second-best in the conference), and blocks (37, leads in the conference). His first eight collegiate double-doubles came this year, and he's shooting 55% from the floor. Prior to this season, Saxen had never averaged more than 3.3 points per game and 2.3 rebounds per game.
 
Alex Ducas lands on the honorable mention list after another great season of sharp-shooting from beyond the arc. Ducas is averaging a career-best 12.3 points per game while also setting a new career-best with a 41.6% three-point percentage. His 79 made three-pointers are the seventh-most in a single season in Saint Mary's history, and are third most in the conference. He will finish his senior season as one of the best shooters in Saint Mary's history, ranking seventh actively in three-pointers made as a Gael, with a real chance to move into the top-five after postseason play.
 
For the second year in a row, Randy Bennett has been named the conference's Coach of the Year. He is the first coach not named Mark Few to win the award in consecutive seasons since Brad Holland of San Diego from 1999-2000. This is the fifth time that Bennett has won the award since his first win in 2008, as he continues to lead the Gaels to new heights. Their share of the WCC regular season title is the first for SMC since 2016, and their fourth overall WCC regular season title under his watch. He became the 25^th coach all-time to win 500 games at one institution when he earned his 500^th victory over USF on February 2.
 
The yearly awards from the West Coast Conference can be found below, with Saint Mary's having the most All-WCC players (4) in the conference. Including Kyle Bowen's First Team All-Academic award, all five starters received at least one significant award from the West Coast Conference:
 
Coach of the Year - Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's
Co-Players of the Year - Drew Timme, Gonzaga and Brandin Podziemski, Santa Clara
Newcomer of the Year - Brandin Podziemski, Santa Clara
Defensive Player of the Year - Logan Johnson, Saint Mary's
Sixth Man of the Year - Malachi Smith, Gonzaga
 
All-Conference First Team
Logan Johnson, Saint Mary's
Aidan Mahaney, Saint Mary's
Brandin Podziemski, Santa Clara
Tyrell Roberts, San Francisco
Mitchell Saxen, Saint Mary's
Khalil Shabazz, San Francisco
Cam Shelton, LMU
Carlos Stewart, Santa Clara
Julian Strawther, Gonzaga
Drew Timme, Gonzaga
 
All-Conference Second Team
Marcellus Earlington, San Diego
Keshawn Justice, Santa Clara
Maxwell Lewis, Pepperdine
Fousseyni Traore, BYU
Moses Wood, Portland
 
All-Conference Honorable Mention
Keylan Boone, Pacific
Alex Ducas, Saint Mary's
Spencer Johnson, BYU
Keli Leaupepe, LMU
Tyler Robertson, Portland
Anton Watson, Gonzaga
 
All-Freshman Team
Juan Sebastian Gorosito, Portland
Dallin Hall, BYU
Aidan Mahaney, Saint Mary's
Moe Odum, Pacific
Jevon Porter, Pepperdine
 
Saint Mary's begins their run towards the West Coast Conference championship on Monday, March 6 at 6:00 pm when they play in the WCC semifinals. Their opponent will be determined after play on Saturday night. If the best seed wins every game in the tournament through that point, the Gaels would play fourth-seeded Loyola Marymount. The game will be televised on ESPN with Dave Flemming and Sean Farnham on the call. The WCC Championship game is scheduled for 6:00 pm on Tuesday, March 7, also on EPSN.