Former Arizona Wildcats Keanu Pinder, Parker Jackson-Cartwright earn accolades overseas

Two former Arizona Wildcats teammates are generating high recognition overseas.

Forward Arizona forward Keanu Pinder was named Most Improved Player of Australia’s National Basketball League, while ex-UA point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright was named MVP of Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga.

Pinder averaged 10.9 points and 7.6 rebounds for the Cairns Taipans. He shot 54.8 percent for the season. Cairns finished the year 8-19 and missed the playoffs.

Pinder, a native of Derby, Western Australia, previously played for the NBL’s Adelaide 36ers.

Pinder’s Taipans squad has some Southwestern flair. His teammates include former Salpointe Catholic star Majok Deng and one-time Arizona target Stephen Zimmerman, who wound up playing one year at UNLV.

Jackson-Cartwright, who played with Pinder from 2016-18, averaged 19.3 points, 7.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds for the Telekom Baskets Bonn. PJC is racking up the trophies in Western Europe; in 2019-20 he was named Player of the Year of the British Basketball League and in 2020-21 he earned MVP honors for France’s LNB Pro B.

The latest award likely means a great deal to Jackson-Cartwright, who recently lost his father.

Telekom Baskets Bonn reached the Round of 16 of the Bundesliga playoffs.