IRVINE, Calif. – Freshman forward Jackson Rowe was named the 2016-17 Big West Conference Men's Basketball Freshman of the Year, while senior guards Tre' Coggins and Lionheart Leslie were named Big West First Team and Honorable Mention, respectively, as voted on by the league's nine coaches, it was announced today.

Cal State Fullerton is the No. 3 seed at this week's Big West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament and scheduled to play No. 6 CSUN at 2:30 p.m., Thursday at Honda Center. Purchase tickets HERE.

Rowe is the fourth Cal State Fullerton player to be voted Big West Freshman of the Year and the second in a row for fourth-year head coach Dedrique Taylor, as sophomore Khalil Ahmad took home the honor last season.

In his first year with Fullerton, Rowe is averaging 10.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He is ranked third in the Big West in rebounding average and leads the conference in field goal percentage (.546).

The native of Toronto has totaled 17 double-figure scoring games, two 20-point games, six double-figure rebounding games, five double-doubles, and has led the team in rebounding on 14 occasions. Twice Rowe has grabbed 16 rebounds in a game this season – a career high and 2016-17 Titan single-game high. In addition, his career-high 24 points against Cal Poly on Jan. 28 helped lead Fullerton to an 81-71 victory.

For the second straight season, Coggins received all-conference honors, named to the Big West First Team in his senior year after leading Cal State Fullerton and the Big West Conference averaging 17.5 points per game.

Furthermore the San Juan Capistrano, Calif, native has totaled 23 double-figure scoring games, including 12 20-point games and two 30-point efforts. He has also led the team in scoring 17 times this season.

His most notable performances this year include scoring 17 points to lead the Titans in a victory over UC Irvine (2/22), notching his 10th 20-point game of the season dropping 26 points in a 79-72  win over UC Davis (2/18), scoring 22 points in a comeback victory over Long Beach State (02/11) as well as scoring 34 points on a career-high 11 field goals in an 84-74 victory at Cal Poly (1/12).  

Coggins logged his 21st career 20-point game as a Titan on Saturday night. He also has surpassed the 900-point mark, giving him 925 points in 56 career games at Fullerton.

Leslie was named honorable mention after averaging 10.1 points per game and leading the Titans in both assists (67) and steals (44) as well as getting to 4.0 rebounds per game.

This season the native of Houma, La., totaled 11 double-figure scoring games, including four 20-point efforts. He led the team in scoring on six occasions, led the Titans in rebounding seven times, and led Fullerton in assists 11 times.

He set a new career high with six assists to go along with eight points, eight rebounds and four steals in Thursday's 65-54 victory over UC Santa Barbara. He also scored 12 of his game-high 13 points in the second half to help the Titans edge UC Riverside on the road, 56-55 (2/16), and led the team with 14 points in the Big West opening 67-64 win over Hawai'i (1/5). Leslie also scored 21 points including 17 in the second half to spur the Titans' comeback from 20 points down to beat Pacific, 78-77 (12/3).

Entering the Big West Tournament, Leslie has recorded 24 steals in his last seven games.

The Titans have received 68 Big West all-conference honors, including first team, second team and honorable mention, dating back to 1976. Coggins is the first Titan since D.J. Seeley in 2012 to be named to the Big West First Team.

UC Davis' Darius Graham was voted Best Hustle Player and the Aggies' Siler Schneider was named Best Sixth Player. In addition, UCD's Chima Moneke was named Newcomer of the Year.

UC Irvine's Luke Nelson was voted the 2016-17 Big West Player of the Year, while Anteaters' head coach Russell Turner was named Coach of the Year. UC Irvine's Jonathan Galloway was named Best Defensive Player.

The Titans (16-13, 10-6) finished the regular season winners of eight of their last 10 games and with the most overall and conference victories in a season since the 2011-12 campaign. The Titans, the No. 3 seed in the Big West Conference Tournament, will tangle with the No. CSUN 6 Matadors (11-17, 7-8) at Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at Honda Center.

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