When Jaime Jaquez Jr. was asked if the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year award was on his checklist of accomplishments this season, he said no.
“I have three awards on my checklist. I already got one, now I want two more,” Jaquez said after UCLA’s win over Arizona State last week, acknowledging the Bruins’ Pac-12 regular-season title and alluding to the Pac-12 tournament and a national championship.
Teammate Jaylen Clark immediately started campaigning for Jaquez.
“I know he’s not going to say it, but he deserves the damn award,” said Clark, before reeling off reasons why the Camarillo native should be the conference’s Player of the Year.
Fun moment from UCLA’s postgame presser after the win over ASU.
I tell Jaime Jaquez Jr. Camarillo boys basketball won, then ask him about winning Pac-12 Player of the Year … a question Jaylen Clark was NOT shy about answering.
“…he deserves the damn award.”
🎥: @UCLAMBB pic.twitter.com/arE6OHXoa3
— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) March 3, 2023
As flattering as Clark’s words were, they didn’t matter. Jaquez’s performance spoke for itself, which is why he was officially named the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year on Tuesday morning, beating out Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis.
“It feels great,” Jaquez said of winning the award. “A lot of hard work. It was a very competitive race this year. I give a lot of credit to Tubelis, he played an amazing season.
“I have to credit my teammates for helping me win this. Thank you to the coaches and staff, thanks to everybody.”
Jaquez is the first Bruin to earn the award since Kevin Love in 2008, and the first senior do to it since Ed O’Bannon in 1995. Jaquez led UCLA to it first regular-season title since 2013, averaging 17.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists while starting all 31 games. He currently ranks fourth among all Pac-12 players in scoring and fifth in rebounding.
Jaquez wasn’t the only member of the No. 2-ranked Bruins (27-4)…
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