Arizona's Bennedict Mathurin makes Wooden Award midseason watch list

Bennedict Mathurin is having a big sophomore year, and it continues to garner him national attention.

That includes from the Wooden Award, which included him on its midseason watch list.

The 6-foot-6 wing is averaging 18.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 50.6 percent overall and 38.6 percent from 3-point range. He’s scored at least 20 in seven games, including Monday’s 95-79 home win over Washington when he had 27.

Mathurin, a preseason Pac-12 first-team selection who won the league’s Player of the Week award in consecutive weeks earlier this season, the third UA player to do so, is one of two players with Arizona connections on the 25-man watch list.

The other is Baylor senior guard James Akinjo, who played for the Wildcats last season. Akinjo is the leading scorer for the Bears, who are defending NCAA champions and ranked No. 1 as one of three remaining unbeaten teams.

The only UA player to win the Wooden Award is Sean Elliott in 1989.