As the Pac-12 regular season wraps up this weekend, it’s time to hand out some awards.
Here’s who The State Press thinks should get the Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Player of the Year: Washington guard Tony Wroten
Note how Freshman Player of the Year isn’t listed above. It’s because Wroten would win that, too.
On a serious note, Wroten is a fun player to watch. The 6-foot-5-inch guard is very talented, and he’s only a freshman. His critics will argue he doesn’t deserve it because he can’t shoot (9-of-49 from 3-point range, 58.1 percent free throws).
One thing he can do, and he does it well, is drive. Even with his shooting woes, Wroten is third in the conference with 16.7 points per game.
Not only that, he has a knack for grabbing rebounds off his own missed attempts. Wroten grabs a little over two offensive rebounds per game. He grabs 4.9 rebounds per game, good for sixth among Pac-12 guards. He also dishes 3.5 assists a game and is ranked ninth in the conference.
DraftExpress.com ranked him 29th best prospect in the NBA Draft. Although it’s difficult to blame him if he wants to leave, imagine how good he could be with another year under his belt. It’d be a win-win for Wroten and the conference.
Coach of the Year: Colorado coach Tad Boyle
What Boyle has done with Colorado in its first year in the Pac-12 is remarkable. The Buffaloes lost their top two players in guards Alec Burks and Cory Higgins, who made up for nearly half of the Buffaloes scoring last season, to the NBA.
Yet, they’re somehow sitting near the top of the conference with a 19-9 record. Although it seems an NCAA tournament berth is unlikely unless they win the Pac-12 tournament and receive the automatic bid, Boyle still has plenty to be proud of this season.
Defensive Player of the Year: Colorado forward Andre Roberson
Boyle should certainly be proud of the play of sophomore forward Andre Roberson. For example, here’s a stat from Colorado’s media relations department: When Roberson is on the court, 20.9 percent of all defensive possessions end because of Roberson’s efforts. That could be either a defensive rebound, a block that results in a rebound or a steal. It also compares Kentucky forward Anthony Davis to Roberson. Davis is just 0.3 percent higher.
Colorado is first in the Pac-12 in scoring percentage defense and defensive rebounding. Roberson is third in the country with 11.4 rebounds per game. He tops the Pac-12 with 1.9 blocks per game and is No. 14 in steals with 1.14 per game.
Reach the reporter at mtesfats@asu.edu
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