Pac-12 Basketball 2026-27 Preseason Predictions: Awards

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS – OCTOBER 24: Braden Huff #34 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs looks to make a pass in the second half against Caleb Ourigou #0 and JJ Andrews #7 of the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on October 24, 2026 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Bulldogs 76-72. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The college basketball season is right around the corner! Can you already believe it?! We’re less than one week away! Every year, we do a traditional, four-part tip-off series for the Mountain West. But this year, we’re expanding our horizon’s to the Pac-12, where our panelists will vote on awards, all-conference teams and power rankings before the season begins, and more!

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Here’s the first of our four-part series for the Pac-12, where we dig into the awards!

Player of the Year: Braden Huff, Gonzaga

Skinny: Coming off an injury-riddled 2025-26 season, Huff is expected to step into a bigger role following the Graham Ike’s departure. He was limited to just 18 games with a knee injury a year ago. But he was still quite productive when he was on the floor, averaging 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds. He’s an extremely dynamic interior scorer and has the chance to be a walking 20-8/9 guy.

Defensive Player of the Year: Massamba Diop, Gonzaga

Skinny: An Arizona State transfer, Diop averaged 13.6 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Sun Devils last year. Diop also averaged 2.1 blocks across 29.6 minutes, finishing fourth in the Big 12 in block percentage and third in total blocks. He was a monster in Big 12 play and immediately anchors what projects to be the best defense in the new-look Pac-12 (oops, spoilers!). I’m high on his ability to play drop and defend in space at his size.

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Freshman of the Year: Ian Almansa, Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa, Gonzaga

Skinny: We have a tie! Almansa was recently cleared by the NCAA to play this season after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft cycle. He’s an older “freshman,” spending last year overseas…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pac-12-basketball-2026-27-180000712.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-27 18:00:00

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