Mark Lyons shoots for 3 vs. Arizona State. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Ten players from seven teams won Pac-12 men’s basketball player of the week honors before an Arizona Wildcat finally did.
Senior point guard Mark Lyons, coming off his 24-point performance in a 71-54 win at Arizona State on Saturday, won the conference’s weekly award, the conference announced Monday.
Coach Sean Miller lobbied for his players a couple of weeks ago on the weekly Pac-12 coaches teleconference with the media, asking the moderator of the call, league vice president of communications Dave Hirsch, “what do we have to do to get one of those awards?”
Well, now Arizona, which is 16-1 and has been the league’s top-ranked team all season, has one.
Lyons had three rebounds, three assists and three steals, in addition to tying his season-high in points. He scored half of his points in the final 10 minutes as the Wildcats pulled away for the victory.
“That’s what Coach brought me here for,” said Lyons, a graduate transfer from Xavier.
“I came here to win games. When the game is up in the air, guys like me and Solo (senior Solomon Hill) who have been through all the wars and things like that, we tend to step up.”
Arizona plays host to UCLA on Thursday at 7 p.m. (ESPN2).
Related: Lyons makes a statement in win over Arizona State
Pac-12 Players of the Week
Nov. 12 — Ahmad Starks, Jr., G, Oregon State
Nov. 19 — Askia Booker, So., G, Colorado
Nov. 26 — Justin Cobbs, Jr., G, California
Dec. 3 — Carrick Felix, Sr., F, Arizona State
Dec. 10 — Brock Motum, Sr., F, Washington State
Dec. 17 — Andre Roberson, Jr., F, Colorado
Dec. 24 — Eric Moreland, So., F, Oregon State
Dec. 31 — Shabazz Muhammad, Fr., G/F, UCLA
Jan. 7- Carrick Felix, Sr., F, Arizona State
Jan. 14 — C.J. Wilcox, Jr., G, Washington
Jan. 21 — Mark Lyons, Sr., G, Arizona