Pac-12 Awards: UCLA G/F Jaime Jaquez Jr. Wins Player of the Week

After the Bruins' freshmen strung together a solid run on conference awards, one of their veterans has finally joined in on the action.

The Pac-12 announced its weekly performance awards Monday afternoon, and UCLA men's basketball guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. took home Player of the Week honors. Center Adem Bona was nominated for Freshman of the Week, but he ultimately lost out to USC guard Tre White.

Jaquez averaged 16.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 75.0% from the free throw line in the Bruins' two wins over then-No. 20 Maryland and then-No. 13 Kentucky.

In the road contest against the Terrapins on Wednesday, Jaquez scored 14 points with seven rebounds and four steals, only needing to play 30 minutes in the 87-60 blowout victory.

The Camarillo, California, native was even more efficient against the Wildcats at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, dropping 19 points versus one of the nation's top defenses. Jaquez also added up 12 rebounds, four steals, four assists and a block in the 63-53 winning effort.

Jaquez has appeared in all 12 of UCLA's games so far this season, and he has scored double-digit points each and every time out. The senior is averaging career highs across the board with 17.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.7 blocks per game on 55.3% field goal shooting and 77.4% free throw shooting.

Among qualified Bruins, Jaquez ranks No. 2 in player efficiency rating, win shares and box plus/minus.

Jaquez is the first Bruin to win conference player of the week this season. The last time UCLA boasted the Pac-12's top player in any given week was when Jaquez won it back on March 7 of this year. The veteran also won Pac-12 Freshman of the Week on Feb. 3, 2020.

The Bruins had a streak of three consecutive Pac-12 Freshman of the Week winners coming into Monday, with guard Amari Bailey earning it on Nov. 28 and Dec. 5 and guard Dylan Andrews securing it on Dec. 12. UCLA has now had a conference award-winner in each of the last four weeks after getting shut out entirely the first two weeks.

Arizona State is the only other team with more than one Pac-12 weekly award-winner this season, and they have two.

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