In the final year of the Pac-12 as we know it, the Arizona Wildcats went out with a bang.
To celebrate the final sports year in the “Conference of Champions” for the Wildcats, the Star is handing out virtual awards for UA players, coaches and teams.
The categories: Best Team, Best Moment, Coach of the Year, Women’s Athlete of the Year, Men’s Athlete of the Year, Transfer of the Year and Freshman of the Year.
Here are the selections:
Arizona cornerback Treydan Stukes (2) and the Wildcat defense celebrate after forcing a turnover against Oklahoma in the first quarter of December's Valero Alamo Bowl.
Best Team: Arizona football
The rundown: Entering the season, Arizona was voted to finish eighth in the final Pac-12 preseason media poll. The Wildcats finished third in the conference behind national runner-up Washington and Oregon, then became just the fourth team in UA football history to have 10-plus wins in a season — and the fewest losses since the 1998 season. After scoring 17 fourth-quarter points to beat Oklahoma in come-from-behind fashion in the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, the first postseason for the program since 2015, the Wildcats finished the season ranked 11th in the Associated Press Top 25, the highest ranking since ’98.
Arizona’s seven-game winning streak to end the season, which included five wins over ranked opponents, is the longest for the UA since ’98. The Jedd Fisch-led Wildcats evolved from 1-11 in 2021 to 10-3 in his third season before the UA head coach left to take the same role at Washington and was replaced by current Arizona leader Brent Brennan.
In contention: Baseball, men’s tennis, men’s basketball, softball, men’s golf
Arizona's Brendan Summerhill (in red) and the Wildcats show off their conference championship trophy to the home crowd after knocking off Oregon State on Summerhill’s bottom-of-the-ninth, two-RBI double in the final Pac-12 event of any kind to be held in Tucson on May 18.
Best Moment: Wildcats win Pac-12 baseball titles
The rundown: Arizona had a simple path to the Pac-12 regular-season championship: one win in a weekend series against Oregon State, and the conference crown belonged to the Cats. On the other hand, OSU needed to sweep the Wildcats to win the Pac-12 championship; the Beavers took two straight to start the series. In the final game, Arizona sophomore Brendan Summerhill hit a two-run RBI to beat Oregon State in walk-off fashion to win the conference championship in the last-ever Pac-12 sporting event in Tucson.
A week later, Arizona erased a 3-0 deficit going into the eighth inning, and first baseman Tommy Splaine, who lost his starting job earlier in the season, hit a walk-off single to win the Pac-12 Tournament in Scottsdale. Arizona ended the season with eight walk-off wins.
Arizona senior Carlie Scupin is carried off the field after hitting a two-run, walk-off single to the left-center gap to secure a three-game sweep of rival ASU on the UA softball team’s Senior Day at Hillenbrand Stadium on April 21.
In contention: Arizona football rallies to beat Oklahoma in Alamo Bowl; UA men’s basketball beats UCLA at McKale Center; UA softball beats ASU in walk-off fashion on Senior Day; Arizona women’s basketball outscores No. 3 Stanford 19-3 in the final four minutes in road win over Cardinal.
Arizona head coach Clancy Shields celebrates his No.1 doubles team’s win against Auburn in the second round match of the NCAA Men’s Tennis Tournament on the UA campus on May 4.
Coach of the Year: Clancy Shields
The rundown: Shields was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year for the third time in eight seasons as head coach of UA men’s tennis; his other two conference Coach of the Year honors were in 2019 and ’21. Shields led the Wildcats to a Top 5 ranking and the program’s first-ever Pac-12 Tournament championship — the first non-California Pac-12 team to accomplish that feat. The Wildcats also shared the conference regular-season title with Stanford and had three players receive All-Pac-12 first-team honors, including Colton Smith, who became the program’s first All-American since 2006.
Arizona head coach Adia Barnes greets Arizona forward Isis Beh, left, before the Wildcats’ NCAA Tournament First Four matchup against Auburn in Storrs, Connecticut back in March.
In contention: Jedd Fisch (football), Chip Hale (baseball), Adia Barnes (women’s basketball)
Arizona guard Helena Pueyo hugs coach Adia Barnes during a pre-game ceremony honoring the team’s seniors before tip against UCLA at McKale Center on March 2.
Women’s Athlete of the Year: Helena Pueyo
The rundown: Although she averaged a career-best 9.7 points per game, Pueyo’s impact for the Wildcats was felt on the defensive end. Pueyo ended her five-year career at the UA as the program’s record-holder for career steals (312), which also ranks fifth in Pac-12 history. Pueyo became the first Pac-12 player since 2018 to record over 100 steals (118) in a season. Pueyo was named to the All-Pac-12 Defensive Team in her final season and earned All-Pac-12 first-team honors this past season. In a tumultuous season for Arizona’s depth, Pueyo was a rock-solid player for a Wildcats team that went to the NCAA Tournament with a seven-player rotation.
Arizona outfielder Dakota Kennedy (4) gets under a short fly ball to left on May 18 during the Wildcats’ 2-1 win over No. 12 national seed Arkansas during the Fayetteville Regional of the 2024 NCAA Softball Tournament.
In contention: Dakota Kennedy (softball), Allie Skaggs (softball), Gile Bite Starkute (women’s golf), Emma Gates (track and field), Laura Holanszky (triathlon)
Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan is the first NFL Draft pick from Marana High School in 56 years.
Men’s Athlete of the Year: Jordan Morgan
The rundown: Following a season-ending knee injury near the end of the 2022 season, Morgan spurned the NFL Draft and returned for his final season of eligibility. As an anchor on Arizona’s offensive line, Morgan started 12 games at left tackle and became an All-Pac-12 selection, before opting out of the Alamo Bowl to focus on preparation for the NFL Draft.
He was taken by the Green Bay Packers at No. 25 overall in the first round of the NFL Draft. Morgan is the highest-selected draft pick from the UA since cornerback Chris McAlister was chosen by the Baltimore Ravens at No. 10 in 1999. The last Arizona offensive lineman to land in the first round was fellow Tucson native John Fina in 1992. Morgan is also the first Marana High School graduate drafted to the NFL since running back Paul Robinson was drafted 82nd overall in the third round of the 1968 draft.
Arizona’s Colton Smith, seen here against Boise State in the NCAA Tournament on May 5, lost in three sets May 24 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, ending his bid for a singles championship.
In contention: Colton Smith (men’s tennis), Caleb Love (men’s basketball), Tetairoa McMillan (football), Sir Jonathan Sims (track and field)
Arizona guard Caleb Love (2) heads over to congratulate teammate forward Keshad Johnson (16) as the clock ticks down on their round of 32 game against Dayton in the NCAA Basketball Championship, Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 23, 2024.
Transfer of the Year: Caleb Love
The rundown: The North Carolina transfer averaged a career-high 18 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game and was named Pac-12 Player of the Year. Love is the 10th player in Arizona basketball history to earn Pac-12 Player of the Year honors. Love is now eligible to be inducted into the McKale Center Ring of Honor. Despite leading the Wildcats to the Sweet 16, Love shot 34% from the field and 6 for 29 (20.7%) from 3-point range in the NCAA Tournament. Love returns to a likely Top-10 Arizona team for his final season.
Arizona guard Jaden Bradley shoves his way to the basket against ASU at McKale Center on Feb. 17.
In contention: Clark Candiotti (baseball), Taylor Upshaw (football), Jaden Bradley (men’s basketball), Jordan Wilson (volleyball)
Quarterback Noah Fifita throws as the offense runs seven-on-seven drills during the UA’s spring game back in April.
Freshman of the Year: Noah Fifita
The rundown: Fifita, who was also the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and Football Writer’s Association of American National Offensive Freshman of the Year, concluded his first season as Arizona’s starter with 2,869 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 72.4% of his pass attempts. The Huntington Beach, California, native is the only UA quarterback in program history to complete over 70% of his passes in a season.
After taking over for the injured Jayden de Laura during Arizona’s come-from-behind win at Stanford to begin Pac-12 play last season, Fifita went 7-2 as the starter and led the Wildcats on a seven-game winning streak to end the season; the two losses to Washington and USC were by a combined nine points. Fifita stamped his breakout regular season with a school- and Territorial Cup-record 527 yards through the air, along with five touchdowns in a blowout win over rival ASU in Tempe.
In Arizona’s win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, Fifita passed for 354 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, the second-most passing yards in a bowl game in program history.
Arizona guard Jada Williams, right, steals the ball from Syracuse guard Kennedi Perkins, left, during the NCAA Tournament in March. Williams was part of a highly-regarded freshman class that lived up to its billing this past season.
In contention: Jada Williams (women’s basketball), KJ Lewis (men’s basketball), Regan Shockey (softball), Andrew Cain (baseball), Sydnie Vanek (women’s track and field), Gage DuBois (men’s swimming)
Justin Spears is the Arizona Daily Star's Arizona football beat writer, while also writing stories and producing digital content on UA basketball and local high schools. A Tucson native, Justin graduated from the University of Arizona in 2017 and is the host of the Wildcast Podcast and a radio host on ESPN Tucson. David and Justin talk about sports writing, the perks and challenges each sport has and how Justin innovates the beat with his reporting.
Justin Spears is the Arizona Daily Star's Arizona football beat writer, while also writing stories and producing digital content on UA basketball and local high schools. A Tucson native, Justin graduated from the University of Arizona in 2017 and is the host of the Wildcast Podcast and a radio host on ESPN Tucson. David and Justin talk about sports writing, the perks and challenges each sport has and how Justin innovates the beat with his reporting.
Justin Spears is the Arizona Daily Star's Arizona football beat writer, while also writing stories and producing digital content on UA basketball and local high schools. A Tucson native, Justin graduated from the University of Arizona in 2017 and is the host of the Wildcast Podcast and a radio host on ESPN Tucson. David and Justin talk about sports writing, the perks and challenges each sport has and how Justin innovates the beat with his reporting.
