Wildcats, Sun Devils all over All-Conference Accolades

Monday the Pac-12 announced their All-Conference performers for the 2013-14 season and there are Arizona Wildcats and Arizona State Sun Devils everywhere to be found.

Starting with the Pac-12 Player of the Year being award U of A junior guard Nick Johnson. Earlier in the day he landed on his first All-American team via the Sporting News.  The Gilbert,AZ native is the seventh Wildcat to be named Player of the Year, joining Derrick Williams (2010-11), Jason Terry (1998-99), Mike Bibby (1997-98), Damon Stoudamire (1994-95), Chris Mills (1992-93), and Sean Elliott (1987-88, 1988-89). The Wildcats didn’t have a go-too scorer coming into the season but when the game was on the line, Johnson’s name was consistently called upon.

The Pac-12 Freshman of the Year also goes to an Arizona Wildcat. Aaron Gordon and his 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.  He is the seventh Wildcat to receive Freshman of the Year accolades since the award’s inception in the 1978-79 season and the first since Arizona’s Derrick Williams won the honor in 2009-10.

The first major accolade for an ASU player went to Sun Devil senior center Jordan Bachynski.  He is the first Sun Devil to be voted this award from the conference and is just one of six ASU student-athletes to receive an end-of-year award.  Bachynski finished the regular season as the Pac-12 career leader in blocked shots with 309 and led the nation with over four blocks per game.

And the coach of the year went to the coach of the 28-3 (15-3) Wildcats, Sean Miller. It is his second time winning the award since becoming head coach in Tucson. Under Miller the last four seasons, they have 109 wins over the last four years which is the second-best four-year run in program history. Lute Olson is the only other U of A coach to win the award which he last did in 2010-11.

The All-Conference team are as follows:

First Team:

Jordan Adams UCLA G So.
Kyle Anderson UCLA G So.
Jahii Carson ASU G So.
Justin Cobbs CAL G Sr.
Aaron Gordon ARIZ F Fr.
Nick Johnson ARIZ G Jr.
Dwight Powell STAN F Sr.
Chasson Randle STAN G Jr.
Josh Scott COLO F So.
Delon Wright UTAH G Jr.

Second Team:

Jordan Bachynski ASU C Sr.
T.J. McConnell ARIZ G Sr.
Roberto Nelson OSU G Sr.
C.J. Wilcox WASH G Sr.
Joseph Young ORE G Jr.

Honorable Mention (receiving at least three votes): Askia Booker (COLO, Jr., G), DaVonté Lacy (WSU, Jr., G), Jermaine Marshall (ASU, Sr., G), Mike Moser (ORE, Sr., F), Richard Solomon (CAL, Sr., F).

All-Freshman team:

Bryce Alford UCLA G
Aaron Gordon ARIZ F
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson ARIZ F
Zach LaVine UCLA G
Nigel Williams-Goss WASH

Honorable Mention (receiving at least three votes):  Hallice Cooke (OSU, G), Wesley Gordon (COLO, F), Jordan Mathews (CAL, G).

All-Defensive team:

Jordan Bachynski ASU C Sr.
Josh Huestis STAN F Sr.
Nick Johnson ARIZ G Jr.
T.J. McConnell ARIZ G Sr.
Delon Wright UTAH G Jr.

Honorable Mention (receiving at least three votes):  Jordan Adams (UCLA, So., G), David Kravish (CAL, So., F), Eric Moreland (OSU, Jr., F), Norman Powell (UCLA, Jr., G).

Stanford’s Anthony Brown was named the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player this season as well.

The Wildcats are the number one seed in the Pac-12 Tournament and will play the winner of #8 Utah and #9 Washington at noon on Thursday on the Pac-12 Networks. They are a combined 3-0 against those teams this season.

ASU is the number three seed in Las Vegas this week and will play the winner of Washington State and Stanford on Thursday at 8:30 pm on Fox Sports 1. The Devils are a combined 2-1 against those teams this season.