BOSTON – Gonzaga men's basketball's
Rui Hachimura was named to the Lute Olson Award Midseason Watch list Wednesday.
The Lute Olson Award is presented annually to the nation's top Division I player in College Basketball. Incoming freshman and transfers are not eligible for the preseason watch list.
Hachimura is averaging a team-high 21.4 points per game, which ranks third in the West Coast Conference. He is eighth in the conference shooting 59.5 percent from the field and 10th grabbing 6.4 rebounds per game. The junior has scored in double-digits in each of GU's 16 games this season, and has reached double-digits in the last 18 games dating back to last season.
Hachimura has scored at least 20 points in 11 games this season. He also has 15 steals and 11 blocks through 16 games. The Toyama, Japan native, was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Maui Invitational after leading the Bulldogs to the tournament's title.
Lute Olson won 780 games in 34 seasons, 24 of which were spent at the University of Arizona. During that stretch he led the Wildcats to 11 Pac-10 Conference titles, 23 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, four Final Four appearances and a National Championship in 1997.
The 2019 Lute Olson Award will be presented at the College Insider awards event in April at the site of the men's division I national championship in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The No. 5/6 Zags (14-2, 1-0 West Coast Conference) welcome Pacific (10-7, 0-2 WCC) Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
Lute Olson Award Midseason Watch List
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker |
6-5 |
So. |
Virginia Tech |
| R.J. Barrett |
6-7 |
Fr. |
Duke |
| Yoeli Childs |
6-8 |
Jr. |
BYU |
| Chris Clemons |
5-9 |
Sr. |
Campbell |
| Jarrett Culver |
6-6 |
So. |
Texas Tech |
| Jarron Cumberland |
6-5 |
Jr. |
Cincinnati |
| Mike Daum |
6-9 |
Sr. |
South Dakota State |
| Carsen Edwards |
6-1 |
Jr. |
Purdue |
| Rui Hachimura |
6-8 |
Jr. |
Gonzaga |
| Ethan Happ |
6-8 |
Sr. |
Wisconsin |
| Jared Harper |
5-11 |
Jr. |
Auburn |
| Markus Howard |
5-11 |
Jr. |
Marquette |
| De'Andre Hunter |
6-8 |
So. |
Virginia |
| Ty Jerome |
6-5 |
Jr. |
Virginia |
| Dedric Lawson |
6-9 |
Jr. |
Kansas |
| Caleb Martin |
6-7 |
Sr. |
Nevada |
| C.J. Massinburg |
6-3 |
Sr. |
Buffalo |
| Charles Matthews |
6-6 |
Sr. |
Michigan |
| Luke Maye |
6-8 |
Sr. |
North Carolina |
| Ja Morant |
6-3 |
So. |
Murray State |
| James Palmer |
6-6 |
Sr. |
Nebraska |
| Shamorie Ponds |
6-1 |
Jr. |
St. John's |
| Myles Powell |
6-2 |
Jr. |
Seton Hall |
| Grant Riller |
6-3 |
Jr. |
Charleston |
| Reid Travis |
6-8 |
Sr. |
Kentucky |
| LaGerald Vick |
6-5 |
Sr. |
Kansas |
| Grant Williams |
6-7 |
Jr. |
Tennessee |
| Zion Williamson |
6-7 |
Fr. |
Duke |
| Cassius Winston |
6-1 |
Jr. |
Michigan State |
| Justin Wright-Foreman |
6-2 |
Sr. |
Hofstra |
