Make that three Arizona starters up for Hoophall Awards.
Freshman Koa Peat has been named to the 10-player midseason watch list for the Karl Malone Award, given to college basketball’s top power forward. He joins Jaden Bradley (Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year) and Brayden Burries (Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year) as candidates for national awards given out by the Naismith College Basketball Hall of Fame.
The 6-foot-8 Peat, is averaging 14.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, shooting 57 percent from the field. In Big 12 play he’s 15.7 points and shooting 57.8 percent.
Peat made a huge splash on the national scene in his collegiate debut, scoring 30 points in the season-opening win over defending NCAA champion Florida. That was one of four 20-point games for Peat, including 21 against ASU on Saturday.
Arizona has had a player win the Karl Malone Award. Deandre Ayton was honored after his monster freshman season in 2017-18 en route to becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
The UA and Iowa State are the only two schools who have three different players up for the first four Hoophall Awards. The fifth, the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, will announce its midseason list on Friday and Motiejus Krivas could make the cut.