March 23, 2005

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University men's basketball forward Grant Dykstra is a first-team pick and guard Ryan Diggs a second-team choice among the National Association of Basketball Coaches/NCAA Division II West Region All Stars announced today.

Dykstra, a junior forward from Everson (Lynden Christian High School), averaged 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists for the Vikings. He shot 50.3 percent (174-of-346) from the field, including 46.9 percent (69-of-147) from 3-point range, and 82.3 percent (79-of-96) at the free throw line.

Diggs, a junior from Victorville, Calif. (Silverado High School), averaged 18.1 points and 3.3 assists, hitting 47.5 percent (155-of-326) from the floor and 85.0 percent (136-of-160) at the line.

Dykstra was earlier named a first-team Daktronics West Region all-star, and he and Diggs were both first-team Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-stars.

Dykstra is the 2005 recipient of the United States Basketball Writers Association Most Courageous Award, and was a finalist for the V Foundation Comeback Award for the second straight season.

Also named to the NABC West Region first team, besides Dykstra, were Brad Oleson from Alaska Fairbanks, Jeff Bonds from Cal Poly Pomona, Jason Chivers from Seattle Pacific, Osadonor Esene from Hawaii Hilo and David Sybesma from Cal Poly Pomona.

Picked to the second team along with Diggs were Trenell Eddings from Cal State San Bernardino, Jake Chrisman from Brigham Young-Hawaii, Scott Land from Chico State and J.T. Tipton from Sonoma State.

Western finished 22-7 and claimed a share of the GNAC title at 13-5, reaching the semifinals of the West Regional of the NCAA Division II National Championships.