UCLA cleans up Pac-12's year-end awards; Clark, Bona, Cronin all earn honors
UCLA took four of the six Pac-12 year-end awards handed out on Tuesday.
In addition to forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. being named the Pac-12 Player of the Year, UCLA also earned the Defensive Player of the Year award, the Freshman of the Year award, and the Wooden Coach of the Year award.
It’s just the second time in conference history that one team earned Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year honors in the same season.
Clark is the third UCLA player to receive the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award and the first since Russell Westbrook in 2008. The junior guard currently leads the Pac-12 and ranks fifth nationally with 2.6 steals per game, which would be the league’s best mark since 2019 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Matisse Thybulle’s national-leading 3.5.
Also one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith DPOTY award, Clark leads the country in defensive win shares and defensive box plus/minus. Clark earned a spot on the Pac-12 All-Defensive team for the second straight season as well.
𝐏𝐀𝐂-𝟏𝟐 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑
Jaylen Clark has become just the second UCLA player to earn the Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Previously, Russell Westbrook earned the award in 2008.
🏀 🗒️: https://t.co/BcemqE5L0r pic.twitter.com/uEoZHWaPRu
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) March 7, 2023
Bona is UCLA’s 10th all-time recipient of the Freshman of the Year award, matching Arizona for the most of any program in league history. He’s also the first since Lonzo Ball in 2017. The 6-foot-10 big man closed out the regular season ranked second in the league in shooting percentage and second in block rate.
He also earned a spot on the five-man All-Defensive team alongside Clark.
𝐏𝐀𝐂-𝟏𝟐 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐇𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑
UCLA’s Adem Bona has been honored as this season’s Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.
He becomes the Bruins’ first freshman to earn that award since Lonzo Ball (2017).
🏀 🗒️: https://t.co/BcemqE5L0r pic.twitter.com/9Kr2vqIZOD
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) March 7, 2023
Finally, Cronin picked up his second John R. Wooden Coach of the Year award.
Cronin, also a candidate for the Naismith National Coach of the Year award, led the Bruins to a 27-4 mark on the season and a record-tying 18 league wins as UCLA captured its first conference title since 2013. The four games of separation between the Bruins in first and the Arizona Wildcats in second marked the largest margin since 2004.
𝐏𝐀𝐂-𝟏𝟐 𝐂𝐎𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑
Bruins’ head coach @CoachMickCronin has been recognized as the John R. Wooden Coach of the Year for the second time in four seasons at UCLA.
🏀 🗒️: https://t.co/BcemqE5L0r pic.twitter.com/g8dtHNDYXv
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) March 7, 2023
UCLA will begin play at the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday against either No. 8 Washington or No. 9 Colorado (12 p.m. PT). It’ll look to close out a truly dominant year in the league with a title sweep.