Nnaji named Freshman of the Year
Arizona forward Zeke Nnaji was named the Pac-12's Freshman of the Year. He was also the lone Wildcat to be named to the 10-player first team All-Pac-12 team.
Nnaji averaged 16.3 points and 8.6 rebounds a game for the Wildcats. He was named the league's Freshman of the Week four times this season.
Nnaji is the fifth Wildcat to be named the top freshman in head coach Sean Miller's 11 years in Tucson. He is the 10th overall since the award began in 1983-84.
Nico Mannion was named Second Team All-Pac-12 was a member of the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. He finished second in the conference in assists (5.4).
Senior Dylan Smith was named an honorable mention on the All-Defensive team.
The award makes Nnaji eligible for the Ring of Honor at McKale Center. He will be the 27th player to be honored.
From the Pac-12:
A member of the top-10 watch list for the Karl Malone Award given to the nation’s best power forward, Nnaji is the 10th Freshman of the Year recipient from Arizona including the eighth freshman forward to win the honor for the Wildcats.
The Hopkins, Minn., native is averaging team bests of 16.3 points on 57.3 percent shooting and 8.6 rebounds, all of which rank top three among the Pac-12’s loaded freshmen class and top eight among NCAA Division I rookies. He is also pacing the Conference with 14 double-doubles, the third most nationally for a freshman.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Payton Pritchard, Sr., G, OREGON
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Zeke Nnaji, F, ARIZONA
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Tyler Bey, Jr., G/F, COLORADO
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Chris Smith, Jr., G, UCLA
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Alonzo Verge Jr., Jr., G, ARIZONA STATE
JOHN R. WOODEN COACH OF THE YEAR: Mick Cronin, UCLA
ALL-PAC-12 TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Oscar da Silva (STAN)
CJ Elleby (WSU)
Remy Martin (ASU)
Zeke Nnaji (ARIZ)
Onyeka Okongwu (USC)
Payton Pritchard (ORE)
Chris Smith (UCLA)
Isaiah Stewart (WASH)
Tres Tinkle (OSU)
McKinley Wright IV (COLO)
SECOND TEAM
Timmy Allen (UTAH)
Tyler Bey (COLO)
Matt Bradley (CAL)
Nico Mannion (ARIZ)
Jonah Mathews (USC)
Honorable Mention: Chris Duarte (ORE), Tyrell Terry (STAN), Alonzo Verge (ASU)
PAC-12 ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Zeke Nnaji (ARIZ)
Nico Mannion (ARIZ)
Onyeka Okongwu (USC)
Isaiah Stewart (WASH)
Tyrell Terry (STAN)
Honorable Mention: Jaime Jaquez (UCLA)
PAC-12 ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Tyler Bey (COLO)
Kylor Kelley (OSU)
Jonah Mathews (USC)
Bryce Wills (STAN)
McKinley Wright IV (COLO)
Honorable Mention: Chris Duarte (ORE), Jalen Hill (UCLA), Jervae Robinson (WSU), Dylan Smith (ARIZ)
