After winning the final Pac-12 Regular Season Championship, it’s only fitting that Arizona’s best player this season takes home the league’s top honor. Five Wildcats took home Pac-12 All-Conference Honors, including Caleb Love, the Pac-12 Player of the Year.
Love, who was also named to the All-Pac-12 First Team, is the 10th Wildcat in program history to earn Pac-12 Player of the Year. During his lone season in Tucson, Love is averaging 18.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. He is shooting 43.0 percent from the field, and 35.2 percent from 3-point range. His scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage are all career-highs. Love finished the regular season with 14 games of 20-or-more points, including a career-high 36 points in Arizona’s 87-78 win at Oregon in Eugene.
Love is also a finalist for a number of national awards and honors. He is one of five finalists for the Jerry West Award, given to the top shooting guard in college basketball. He is also one of 15 players on the Wooden Award National Ballot and on the Naismith Trophy Late Season Watchlist. After being named the Conference of Champions’ Player of the Year, Love is now eligible to become the 34th player in UA history to be added to the Arizona Ring of Honor.
Oumar Ballo is also an All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Defensive Team selection. Arizona’s big man is averaging a double-double this season with 13.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. His 10 boards per game are good for second best in the league. He recorded 16 double-doubles, including 13 in conference play, and nine consecutive down the stretch. Ballo holds the league’s top field goal percentage, shooting 64.0 percent from the floor. The two-time All-Pac-12 First Team selection also led the league with 3.6 offensive rebounds per game.
Pelle Larsson took home All-Pac-12 Second Team honors following his best season in an Arizona uniform. The Swede is averaging 13.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, while shooting a career-high 53.5 percent from the field. Larsson is also second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.07.
Arizona is the only school with three players receiving First or Second Team All-Pac-12 Honors.
Two other Wildcats also garnered Pac-12 All-Conference Honors. Keshad Johnson is an All-Defensive Team Honorable Mention, while KJ Lewis is an All-Freshman Team Honorable Mention. Johnson has 28 steals and 24 blocked shots this year, both career-highs. Lewis is averaging 6.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, while shooting 47.8 from the field. He is also fourth among conference freshmen in assists, fifth in steals, sixth in rebounding, and seventh in blocks.