If Arizona's Azuolas Tubelis keeps playing the way he has so far this season, the Pac-12 Player of the Week award he won Monday could become just a prelude to a much bigger award.
Entering the conventional portion of the Pac-12's 18-game schedule this weekend, Tubelis appears to be the leading candidate for the conference's player of the year.
While leading the Wildcats to a 12-1 record and the No. 5 AP ranking, the junior power forward from Lithuania leads the Pac-12 in scoring (20.1 points) and is second in rebounding (8.7), behind only teammate Oumar Ballo (9.1).
Tubelis is also fourth in field goal percentage (61.4) and sixth in free-throw percentage (80.4) while also blocking 0.9 shots per game. Even in pace-adjusted analytic stats, Tubelis is among conference and national leaders in defensive rebounding percentage (21.3), offensive rebounding percentage (11.7) and block percentage (3.3).
Tubelis also steals the ball on 2.0% of opponents' percentages when he's on the floor, showing a taste for grabbing the ball near the perimeter and using his unusual speed for a big man to make a dunk or layup.
During Arizona's 93-68 win over Morgan State on Dec. 22, Tubelis actually swiped the ball on the perimeter from 6-1 guard Isaiah Burke and then raced all the way downcourt for a layup, even as Burke tried to gain the ball back at midcouet.
After that game, Lloyd was asked where Tubelis ranked as a running big man.
"I can't imagine many better," Lloyd said. "There might be some guys you'd say, `Hey, in a foot race, these guys are equal.' But I would say the consistency with he runs maybe separates him from the pack a little bit. He's incredible runner and he's got great hands over the top."
While Tubelis hadn't won the Pac-12's weekly award before this season, he did pick it up on Feb. 7 last season, after averaging 16 points and eight rebounds in UA's homecourt wins over USC and UCLA. He finished last season as one of 10 players on the all-Pac-12 first team.
Among others nominated for the Pac-12 award this week, Tubelis beat out Washington State's Mouhamed Gueye, who posted two double-doubles over three games in the Diamond Head Classic, and Joel Brown, who had 17 points to lead Cal to its first win of the season despite not having standout guard Devin Askew available.
Cal's Grant Newell, meanwhile, picked up the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors after scoring nine points in the Bears' win over Texas-Arlington.
