Kelati named first-team All-Pac-10

COUGAR SENIOR guard Thomas Kelati, the pride of Walla Walla, was named today to the All-Pac-10 first team, while WSU freshmen Robbie Cowgill and Derrick Low were picked all-freshman honorable mention.

Kelati joins the All-Conference team for the first time, having received honorable mention accolades in 2004.

The Cougars' first offensive option, Kelati leads the team in scoring (14.1 ppg, 10th Pac-10), assists (76), thee-point field goal percentage (.408, 7th), three-pointers made (2.78 pg, 2nd) and minutes played (36.15 mpg, 2nd). One of the great three-point shooters in school history, Kelati recently joined the elite ranks of Cougars to break 1,000 points in a career.

He has tied for the lead or was the team's leading scorer in 18 of Washington State's 27 games on the season. Kelati was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week on Jan. 31 after scoring 27 points and leading the Cougars to a historic 70-63 win at Arizona, their first over the Wildcats in 39 tries. Washington State also snapped a streak of 18 straight losses to Stanford, sweeping the season series with the Cardinal.

Kelati will lead the Cougars into the Pac-10 tournament this Thursday night against Stanford at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The game will be televised.

Other members of the team include Pac-10 Player of the Year Ike Diogu from Arizona State, Channing Frye and Salim Stoudamire from Arizona, Dan Grunfeld and Chris Hernandez from Stanford, David Lucas from Oregon State, Nate Robinson and Tre Simmons from Washington and UCLA's Dijon Thompson.

WSU center Robbie Cowgill (Austin, Texas) and point guard Derrick Low (Honolulu) were named honorable mention Pac-10 All-Freshman. Cowgill has 26 blocks this season, second most by a WSU freshman in a season. Low's 63 assists rank sixth on the Cougar single-season freshman list.