ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Washington State University senior Robert Franks has been named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-District IX Team, the organization announced Tuesday. 

For the first time since 2013, a Cougar has earned the honor, as Brock Motum was USBWA all-district in both 2012 and 2013. In 2010, Klay Thompson became the first Cougar to earn the honor since Kyle Weaver was named to the USBWA District IX Team in 2008, as he followed with the same honor in 2011. Derrick Low picked up the accolades as a junior in 2007. Other Cougar honorees include Isaac Fontaine (1997), Mark Hendrickson (1995), Bennie Seltzer (1993) and Terrence Lewis (1992).

The organization divides all Division I schools into nine districts. District IX is made up of all Division I schools in California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Arizona and Alaska and has a 11-man team, along with player and coach of the year. 

Franks is one of eight Pac-12 student-athletes on the team and one of five players from a Washington school. He is joined by fellow Pac-12 members Bennie Boatwright (USC), Zylan Cheatham (Arizona State), Luguentz Dort (Arizona State), Jaylen Nowell (Washington), KZ Okpala (Stanford), Matisse Thybulle (Washington) and Tres Tinkle (Oregon State). Gonzaga's Brandon Clarke and Rui Hachimora also made the team, as Hachimora was named the district's Player of the Year. Gonzaga head coach Mark Few was named Coach of the Year. 

A native of Vancouver, Wash., Franks leads Washington State and the Pac-12 and ranks 18th in the nation with 22.1 points per game. He's adding a league seventh-best 7.4 rebounds per game. He is currently tied for eighth on WSU's single-season scoring list with 575 points and 14th in career scoring with 1,341 career points. Last season Franks was named the Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year. This season Franks became the first Cougar to be named to the Pac-12 All-Conference First Team since 2015.

The USBWA will release its 2018-19 Men's All-America team on Mon., March 18, along with the finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy (National Player of the Year), Wayman Tisdale Award (National Freshman Player of the Year) and the Henry Iba Award (National Coach of the Year).

The Cougars continue their season as they enter the 2019 Pac-12 Tournament as the No. 11 seed and take on No. 6 Oregon, Wednesday, March 13 at 8:30 p.m. at Las Vegas's T-Mobile Arena. 

USBWA District IX (Calif., Ore., Wash., Hawaii, Ariz., Alaska) 
ALL-DISTRICT TEAM
Bennie Boatwright, USC
Zylan Cheatham, Arizona State
Brandon Clarke, Gonzaga
Lamine Diane, CSUN
Luguentz Dort, Arizona State
Robert Franks, Washington State
Rui Hachimora, Gonzaga
Jaylen Nowell, Washington
KZ Okpala, Stanford
Matisse Thybulle, Washington
Tres Tinkle, Oregon State

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga 
COACH OF THE YEAR: Mark Few, Gonzaga