Tom Crean Named Conference USA Coach Of the Year

March 6, 2002

Milwaukee -- The honors continue to roll in for Marquette Head Basketball Tom Crean as he was chosen as Conference USA Coach of the Year in a poll conducted by the league's coaches. Crean becomes the first Marquette coach to earn that honor.

In addition, Crean was chosen by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) as District V Coach of the Year. The USBWA District V includes Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Crean has led Marquette to an overall record of 24-5 while finishing the C-USA regular season with a 13-3 record, the most wins by a Golden Eagle team in C-USA play. MU is ranked 10th in the nation in this week's USA Today/ESPN Poll and holds down the No. 13 spot in the Assosciated Press rankings. Marquette will play Louisville in a Thursday (Mar. 7) quarterfinal Conference USA Tournament game starting at 12:05 p.m. (CST).

"Being selected by my peers is very meaningful to me," said Crean. "All the people that work with us, it's a 'we' award. It's really an honor. I share this with my family, my administration and (athletic director) Bill Cords, the entire athletic department ... and most importantly our players."

Crean wasn't the only person affiliated with the program to earn more honors. Sophomore Dwyane Wade earned a spot on the USBWA All-District V Team and Travis Diener, the team's leader in three-point field goals with 46, earned a spot on the C-USA All-Freshman Team.

USBWA District V Honors

Coach of the Year Tom Crean, Marquette

Player of the Year Steve Logan, Cincinnati

All-District Team
David Bailey             Loyola
Trevor Huffman           Kent State
Jared Jeffries           Indiana
Steve Logan              Cincinnati
Keith McLeod             Bowling Green
Kirk Penney              Wisconsin
Marcus Taylor            Michigan State
Dwyane Wade              Marquette
David West               Xavier
Frank Williams           Illinois

2001-02 C-USA All-Freshman Team

Moussa Badiane East Carolina

Travis Diener Marquette

Jason Maxiell Cincinnati

Corey Santee TCU

Dajuan Wagner Memphis