2023-24 Men's Basketball All-Cal Pac and All-Defensive Teams

For the second year in a row, the California Pacific Conference coaches have voted Antelope Valley's Michael Hayes as the California Pacific Conference Player of the Year after he led the Pioneers to a stellar 19-1 conference record (24-4 overall), a No. 25 ranking in the final Coaches' Top 25 Poll, their sixth regular season title, the top seed in the postseason tournament, and an automatic berth in the NAIA National Championship.  Hayes, a senior forward out of Tracy, Calif., averaged 16.8 points per game and, for the second straight year, he led the Cal Pac in field goal percentage at 57 percent.  He made his presence known at both ends of the floor, averaging 7.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.0 steals per contest.  He improved in each category from last year's Player of the Year statistics.

Benedictine Mesa grad student Eric Norton also repeats as an individual award, albeit with a unique twist.  The senior guard was voted the Cal Pac's Defender of the Year, an honor he received two years ago when he was playing at Cal Maritime.  Norton, a First Team selection this year and in 2021-22, and a two-time honoree on the All-Defensive Team, contributed on the offensive end as well, averaging 12.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Saint Katherine's Xavier Cooper was named the Newcomer of the Year after helping the Firebirds win 21 games—the most in the program's six-year history.  The grad student was a constant for USK, averaging 12.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.  Against La Sierra earlier this month, he finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists to record only the fourth triple-double in Cal Pac history.  Another Firebird took home an individual award when Chris Harper was voted the Cal Pac's Sixth Player of the Year honor.  Used primarily off the bench, the senior wing put up 12.8 points per game, shooting 49.8 percent from the floor, including 39.1 percent from the3-point line.  Both Cooper and Harper were voted to this year's First Team.

Simpson's Parker Martens, an Honorable Mention this season, was selected as the Cal Pac's Freshman of the Year.  He scored at a 10.6 points per game clip, grabbing an average of 5.0 rebounds per outing.

Antelope Valley's Jordan Mast was voted the top coach by his peers.  Mast, in his sixth season at UAV, was awarded his third Coach of the Year honor and second in a row after leading the Pioneers to their second straight 19-1 Cal Pac record.  In five seasons at UAV (including a 2-0 COVID season in 20-21), Mast has compiled an astounding 61-6 Cal Pac record (.910 winning percentage) and is 97-25 overall (.795).

UAV's Arik Nicholas and Embry-Riddle's Dennis Pomazanov are the only other All-Cal Pac selections to repeat.  Nicholas, a unanimous pick this year, was named Honorable Mention last season, following a 2021-22 campaign in which he was named Freshman of the Year and voted to the First Team.  Pomazanov, a senior forward for the Eagles, was a second team pick in 2022-23.

INDIVIDUIAL AWARDS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Michael Hayes (Antelope Valley)

DEFENDER OF THE YEAR:  Eric Norton (Benedictine Mesa)

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:  Xavier Cooper (Saint Katherine)

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:  Parker Martens (Simpson)

SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Chris Harper (Saint Katherine)

COACH OF THE YEAR:  Jordan Mast (Antelope Valley)

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

First Team

*unanimous selection

Second Team

Honorable Mention

Antelope Valley:  Rodney Ray.  Benedictine-Mesa:  Quincy Reece.  Embry-Riddle:  Christmas Togiai, Jr., Jake Klingler.  La Sierra:  Triston Broughton.  Pacific Union:  Shemarr Parker, Jacob Ebert.  Park-Gilbert:  Caleb Ivy.  Saint Katherine:  Tampa Scott IV.  Simpson:  Parker Martens, Drey Ubas.  UC Merced:  Jaron Mertle.  Westcliff:  Micaiah Hankins.

2023-24 ALL DEFENSIVE TEAM