TUCSON — Arizona’s dominance this season didn’t go unnoticed.
The Big 12 rolled out its 2025-26 awards, voted on by league coaches, and senior point guard Jaden Bradley grabbed the biggest prize of all: Player of the Year.
Bradley’s steady leadership and clutch play guided the Wildcats to a 29-2 record and a Big 12 regular-season title.
He’s now the 11th Wildcat ever to earn conference player of the year honors and the third in Tommy Lloyd’s five seasons at the helm. This award also cements Bradley’s spot in the Arizona Basketball Ring of Honor, joining an elite group in program history.
The Wildcats weren’t done there.
Senior forward Tobe Awaka was a unanimous pick for Sixth Man of the Year, and Lloyd took home Big 12 Coach of the Year honors. For Awaka, it’s another milestone; he’s just the third Wildcat to win the league’s top reserve award, joining Jordan Brown (2021) and Pelle Larsson (2022).
Lloyd’s coach of the year nod is his second overall after winning Pac-12 honors back in 2022.
Arizona stacked the All-Big 12 teams too. Bradley made the First Team, alongside junior center Motiejus Krivas and standout freshman guard Brayden Burries. Freshman forward Koa Peat landed on the Third Team, with Awaka earning honorable mention.
Bradley and Krivas also locked in spots on the All-Defensive Team, while Burries and Peat were recognized on the All-Freshman Team, continuing Lloyd’s remarkable streak of developing young talent.
In Lloyd’s tenure, Arizona has had 18 all-conference nods and six freshmen in five years named to the All-Freshman squad.
Stat-wise, Bradley was the engine that powered Arizona through the nation’s toughest conference. He averaged 13.4 points, 4.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in league play, hitting 17-plus points in seven Big 12 games, including the clincher against Iowa State on March 2.
Awaka, meanwhile, made his presence felt on the boards. He’s the top offensive rebounder in the country, averaging 9.6 points and 9.5 rebounds in just 21 minutes per game. Even with three starts during Peat’s injury spell, Awaka’s 271 rebounds off the bench are the most by any college player in the past two seasons.
Now, as the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, Arizona heads to Kansas City with eyes on another title run. They’ll open play Thursday at noon MST against UCF, Cincinnati or Utah, with the nation watching on ESPN.
