Player of the Year: Lonzo Ball (UCLA)
Our pick for Mid-Season Player of the Year as well, there was no talent within the Pac-12 quite as transcendent as Ball was all-season long, as he led his UCLA team to 31-5 record and a birth in the Sweet Sixteen. Ball has already announced his intention to declare for the NBA Draft, where he’ll likely be a top-pick after averaging 14.6 points, 7.6 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game during his one season in Westwood.
BTD’s Mid-Season Award Winner: Lonzo Ball (UCLA)
Pac-12 Coaches’ Award Winner: Dillon Brooks (Oregon)
Defensive Player of the Year: Jordan Bell (Oregon)
One of the surprise stars of Oregon’s run to the Final Four, Jordan Bell completely stepped up after Chris Boucher went out with an injury, anchoring the Ducks on the interior through their run to the Final Four. While Bell was overly critical of his own performance in Oregon’s one-point loss to North Carolina, he was the main reason that the Ducks were even there, after snagging at least 12 rebounds in every NCAA Tournament game and swatting a mind-numbing 8 shots in the Elite Eight against Kansas. He finished Oregon’s five-game run with a total of 66 boards and 16 blocks.
BTD’s Mid-Season Award Winner: Chris Boucher (Oregon)
Pac-12 Coaches’ Award Winner: Jordan Bell (Oregon)
Most Improved Player: Chimezie Metu (USC)
It’s almost incomprehensible to think that Chimezie Metu went from averaging 6.4 points per game last season to now being viewed as a potential NBA prospect, but it’s also hard to recognize Metu on the court sometimes with just how improved his game truly is. The big man has gotten better in so many facets on the game, including upping his totals in points, rebounds, assists, steals, field goal percentage and free throw percentage, all while gradually becoming USC’s best rebounder and second-leading scorer.
BTD’s Mid-Season Award Winner: Chimezie Metu (USC)
Pac-12 Coaches’ Award Winner: Chimezie Metu (USC)
Top Newcomer: Markelle Fultz (Washington)
The second best freshman in the Pac-12 this season (behind UCLA’s Lonzo Ball...just ask him), Markelle Fultz definitely did his thing for Washington all-season long, despite the Huskies monumental struggles along the way. Like his counterpart in Ball, Fultz has already thrown his name into this summer’s NBA Draft, where he’ll also likely be a top selection as well, after averaging 23.2 points, 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game this past season.
BTD’s Mid-Season Award Winner: Markelle Fultz (Washington)
Pac-12 Coaches’ Award Winner (Freshman): Lonzo Ball (UCLA)
Coach of the Year: Sean Miller (Arizona)
Oregon’s Dana Altman and UCLA’s Steve Alford both made their own solid cases for the conference Coach of the Year title but at the end of the day, it was the way that Miller guided a constantly changing Wildcats roster to a 32-5 overall clip that secured him our spot as the Pac-12’s top coach. After all, Arizona played half the season without their best player in Allonzo Trier and never was even able to use the services of Ray Smith, who retired after a third ACL injury. Not too shabby for a team who only lost to Butler (Sweet Sixteen), Gonzaga (National Runners-Up), Oregon (Final Four), UCLA (Sweet Sixteen) and Xavier (Elite Eight).
BTD’s Mid-Season Award Winner: Steve Alford (UCLA)
Pac-12 Coaches’ Award Winner: Sean Miller (Arizona)
All-First Team
- Bryce Alford (UCLA)
- Dillon Brooks (Oregon)
- Markelle Fultz (Washington)
- Kyle Kuzma (Utah)
- Lauri Markkanen (Arizona)
All-Second Team
- Josh Hawkinson (Washington State)
- TJ Leaf (UCLA)
- Ivan Rabb (California)
- Reid Travis (Stanford)
- Allonzo Trier (Arizona)
Honorable Mention
- Kadeem Allen (Arizona)
- Chris Boucher (Oregon)
- Drew Eubanks (Oregon State)
- Chimezie Metu (USC)
- Derrick White (Colorado)