Bennedict Mathurin showed off his athleticism in his first season, but settled for a supporting role in a team full of experienced players. Called to play a bigger role in his second year, the University of Arizona Quebec guard has proven to be one of the best players in the country.
Posted at 3:23 p.m.
Mathurin was named Pac-12 Player of the Year Tuesday by a panel of media who cover the conference after becoming the nation’s No. 2 team go-to player. Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd was named Coach of the Year after leading the Wildcats to the regular season title in his first season and Stanford newcomer Harrison Ingram was named Newcomer of the Year .
“He’s special,” Lloyd said of Mathurin. It’s a pleasure to coach and I am happy that he has this success. »
Mathurin averaged 10.8 points and 4.8 rebounds as a freshman last season. This season, the 6-foot-6 Montreal guard helped the Wildcats win their first Pac-12 regular-season title in four years, raising his averages to 17.3 points and 5.8 rebounds.
And it’s not just numbers. Mathurin has become the player the Wildcats turn to when they need a big basket and, at least twice a game, he wows the crowd with dunks thunderous.
“At the start of the season, I felt like I had to do it alone, but it’s about trusting my teammates,” said Mathurin. Trusting my teammates, telling them they can find me and I will find them. The objective is to win, so if I score 20 points or 5 points, all I want is to win. »
Mathurin helped Lloyd achieve an impressive debut in the desert.
Fast and smooth, like the program Lloyd helped build as an assistant to Mark Few, the Wildcats quickly climbed the rankings as the wins piled up. Arizona started the season with 11 straight wins, finished the regular season with 28 wins and 3 losses, and became the first team in Pac-12 history to win 18 conference games in a season, with 18 wins and 2 defeats.
“I’m not going to try to limit myself or this team because we were afraid of success or maybe it was all going too fast,” Lloyd said. You just have to let go. Let’s deal with it day by day and act like we’ve been there before. »