UC Santa Barbara forward Chris Devine became the first three-time winner of a men's basketball All-Specialty Team award as he was named the league's Best Hustle player Thursday.  Pacific captured the other two specialty awards with forward Bryan LeDuc claiming the Best Sixth Man Honor and forward Joe Ford being named Defensive Player of the Year.

The awards were voted on by the conference's nine head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own players.  This is the ninth straight year that the Big West has handed out the All-Specialty Team awards.

Devine, a 6-8 senior, earned Best Hustle honors in 2005-06 and in 2007-08, sharing the award last season with UC Riverside's Christian Soto.  The senior is averaging 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 28 starts on the year.  He ranks third in the league in scoring and sixth in rebounding, and his .524 field goal percentage is also No. 3 in the conference.  Devine displays much of his grit around the offensive boards, averaging 2.25 caroms per game for the fourth-most among Big West players.  The native of Eagle River, Alaska ranks second on the UC Santa Barbara squad with 29 steals and third with 11 blocked shots.  He is fourth all-time on the Gaucho career scoring list with 1,577 points.

LeDuc, a 6-8 senior, along with teammate Ford, are the first two Pacific players to claim Big West All-Specialty awards since they were established in 2001.  LeDuc owns team-high averages of 10.9 points per game and 52.2 percent field goal shooting, as well as a team-high tying 13 blocked shots.  The native of Corona, Calif. came off the bench in 26 of 28 games, scoring in double figures 15 times.  LeDuc scored a career-high 23 points in a win at Nevada on Nov. 26, 2008.  In addition to being a productive inside force, LeDuc contributed heavily from the perimeter.  He made 39 three-pointers on the year and his .419 three-point field goal percentage was sixth-best in the Big West.  

Ford, a 6-6 junior, got the nod as the Big West's top defender after accumulating a team-high 33 steals and 10 blocked shots during the regular season.  He drew the opponent's top offensive scoring threat in the teams man-to-man defense.  A native of Altadena, Calif., Ford posted 3.8 rebounds per game.  He had 106 rebounds total, including 66 on the defensive end.  Ford had four steals in a game three times.  He displayed all-around ability by leading the Tigers with 68 assists and shooting a solid 52.1 percent from the field.

2008-09 BIG WEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Joe Ford, Pacific

2008-09 BIG WEST BEST HUSTLE PLAYER
Chris Devine, UC Santa Barbara

2008-09 BIG WEST BEST SIXTH MAN
Bryan LeDuc, Pacific