SEATTLE (Mar. 4) -- Nick Johnson of Seattle Pacific University finished third in balloting for player of the year and was one of five first-team selections by the coaches to the all-Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball team.

Johnson (Sr., 6-3, Burlington, Wa./Burlington-Edison) is the No. 2 scorer (13.5) for the 9th-ranked Falcons (23-4), who open NCAA Division II West Regional play Thursday against BYU Hawaii in San Bernardino, Ca. Johnson also ranks fourth nationally in free throw accuracy (.895) and is ninth in the GNAC field goal percentage (.537).

Yusef Aziz (Jr., Seattle, Wa./Foster-Highline CC) was voted as the GNAC Newcomer of the Year and was joined on the second team by Brannon Stone (Sr., 6-9, Oak Harbor, Wa.). Aziz is the team's top scorer (16.4) while Stone leads SPU in rebounding (6.3), assists (4.7) and blocked shots (1.44).

Both Johnson and Stone are repeat selections. Point guard Maurice Cato (Jr., 6-0, Fairfield, Ca.) earned honorable mention.