Buffaloes Trio Earns Postseason Pac-12 Honors
March 12, 2024 | Men's Basketball
BOULDER – Three Colorado Buffaloes received Pac-12 Conference men's basketball postseason honors, the league office announced on Tuesday.
Junior guard KJ Simpson was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and earned honorable mention to the All-Defensive Team. Senior forward Tristan da Silva is an All-Pac-12 Second Team pick while Cody Williams was selected to the league's All-Freshman Team.
The Pac-12 postseason awards were voted on by conference coaches. Da Silva and Simpson are All-Pac-12 performers for the second time, swapping positions from last season. Da Silva was an All-Pac-12 First Team pick as a junior in 2022-23 while Simpson earned Second Team honors as a sophomore.
Simpson tops Colorado at 19.6 points, 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game while ranking third in overall rebounding (5.5 rpg). He leads the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3) while ranking second in scoring, 3-point percentage (.451) and assists, third in steals and fourth in free throw percentage.
Simpson is the ninth different Buffalo to be named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and the 13th honor overall. The Buffaloes have had at least one All-Pac-12 First Team member each of the last six seasons.
Da Silva is second on the team in scoring, field goals made (162), 3-pointers (51) and steals (33) while ranking fourth in rebounding (5.4 rpg). He is sixth in the Pac-12 in free throw percentage, ninth in scoring, 14th in defensive rebounding (4.4 drpg) and 18th in 3-point shooting (.375).
The Buffaloes have had at least one player on either the All-Pac-12 First or Second Team all 13 seasons of their conference membership. It's the fifth time in the last six years Colorado has had multiple players represented on the all-conference teams, and seventh time overall.
Williams is the sixth Buffalo to earn Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honors and first since Simpson two years ago. A 2023 McDonald's All-American, Williams is third on the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game while shooting a team-best 59.0 percent from the field. He is shooting 45.7 percent from 3-point range and is second on the team in blocked shots with 13.
Colorado is 22-9 overall and the No. 3 seed at the 2024 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament, March 13-16, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Buffaloes, who finished conference play at 13-7, will play the winner of No. 6 Utah and No. 11 Arizona State in a quarterfinal game on Thursday, March 14, at 9:30 p.m. MT (FS1/850 AM & 94.1 FM KOA).
PLAYER OF THE YEAR, PRESENTED BY NEXTIVA
Caleb Love, Sr., G, ARIZONA
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR, PRESENTED BY NEXTIVA
Adem Bona, So., F, UCLA
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR, PRESENTED BY NEXTIVA
Myles Rice, G, WASHINGTON STATE
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR, PRESENTED BY NEXTIVA
Maxime Raynaud, Jr., F, STANFORD
SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR, PRESENTED BY NEXTIVA
Koren Johnson, So., G, WASHINGTON
JOHN R. WOODEN COACH OF THE YEAR
Kyle Smith, WASHINGTON STATE
ALL-PAC-12 TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Oumar Ballo**, Arizona, C, R-Sr., Koulikoro, Mali
Adem Bona, UCLA, F, So., Ebonyi, Nigeria
Keion Brooks Jr., Washington, F, Gr., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Branden Carlson**, Utah, C, Sr., South Jordan, Utah
N'Faly Dante**, Oregon, C, Sr., Bamako, Mali
Isaac Jones, Washington State, F, 5th, Spanaway, Wash.
Caleb Love, Arizona, G, Sr., St. Louis, Mo.
Myles Rice, Washington State, G, R-Fr., Columbia, S.C.
KJ Simpson, Colorado, G, Jr., Panorama City, Calif.
Jaylon Tyson, California, G, Jr., Plano, Texas
SECOND TEAM
Jermaine Couisnard, Oregon, G, Sr., East Chicago, Ind.
Tristan da Silva, Colorado, F, Sr., Munich, Germany
Boogie Ellis, USC, G, 5th, San Diego, Calif.
Pelle Larsson, Arizona, G, Sr., Nacka, Sweden
Maxime Raynaud, Stanford, F, Jr., Paris, France
HONORABLE MENTION (receiving at least three votes): Isaiah Collier, USC; Frankie Collins, ASU; Jordan Pope, OSU; Deivon Smith, UTAH; Jaylen Wells, WSU.
* denotes number of All-Pac-12 First Team honors
PAC-12 ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Isaiah Collier, USC, G, Atlanta, Ga.
Sebastian Mack, UCLA, G, Chicago, Ill.
Myles Rice, Washington State, G, Columbia, S.C.
Jackson Shelstad, Oregon, G, West Linn, Ore.
Cody Williams, Colorado, F, Gilbert, Ariz.
HONORABLE MENTION (receiving at least three votes): Kanaan Carlyle, STAN; KJ Lewis, ARIZ.
PAC-12 ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Oumar Ballo, Arizona, C, R-Sr., Koulikoro, Mali
Adem Bona**, UCLA, F, So., Ebonyi, Nigeria
Frankie Collins, Arizona State, G, Jr., Sacramento, Calif.
N'Faly Dante, Oregon, C, Sr., Bamako, Mali
Kobe Johnson**, USC, G, Jr., Milwaukee, Wis.
HONORABLE MENTION (receiving at least three votes): Keshad Johnson, ARIZ; Spencer Jones, STAN; Joshua Morgan, USC; KJ Simpson, COLO.
Junior guard KJ Simpson was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and earned honorable mention to the All-Defensive Team. Senior forward Tristan da Silva is an All-Pac-12 Second Team pick while Cody Williams was selected to the league's All-Freshman Team.
The Pac-12 postseason awards were voted on by conference coaches. Da Silva and Simpson are All-Pac-12 performers for the second time, swapping positions from last season. Da Silva was an All-Pac-12 First Team pick as a junior in 2022-23 while Simpson earned Second Team honors as a sophomore.
Simpson tops Colorado at 19.6 points, 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game while ranking third in overall rebounding (5.5 rpg). He leads the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3) while ranking second in scoring, 3-point percentage (.451) and assists, third in steals and fourth in free throw percentage.
Simpson is the ninth different Buffalo to be named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and the 13th honor overall. The Buffaloes have had at least one All-Pac-12 First Team member each of the last six seasons.
Da Silva is second on the team in scoring, field goals made (162), 3-pointers (51) and steals (33) while ranking fourth in rebounding (5.4 rpg). He is sixth in the Pac-12 in free throw percentage, ninth in scoring, 14th in defensive rebounding (4.4 drpg) and 18th in 3-point shooting (.375).
The Buffaloes have had at least one player on either the All-Pac-12 First or Second Team all 13 seasons of their conference membership. It's the fifth time in the last six years Colorado has had multiple players represented on the all-conference teams, and seventh time overall.
Williams is the sixth Buffalo to earn Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honors and first since Simpson two years ago. A 2023 McDonald's All-American, Williams is third on the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game while shooting a team-best 59.0 percent from the field. He is shooting 45.7 percent from 3-point range and is second on the team in blocked shots with 13.
Colorado is 22-9 overall and the No. 3 seed at the 2024 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament, March 13-16, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Buffaloes, who finished conference play at 13-7, will play the winner of No. 6 Utah and No. 11 Arizona State in a quarterfinal game on Thursday, March 14, at 9:30 p.m. MT (FS1/850 AM & 94.1 FM KOA).
2023-24 Pac-12 Postseason Awards (voted on by league coaches)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR, PRESENTED BY NEXTIVA
Caleb Love, Sr., G, ARIZONA
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR, PRESENTED BY NEXTIVA
Adem Bona, So., F, UCLA
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR, PRESENTED BY NEXTIVA
Myles Rice, G, WASHINGTON STATE
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR, PRESENTED BY NEXTIVA
Maxime Raynaud, Jr., F, STANFORD
SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR, PRESENTED BY NEXTIVA
Koren Johnson, So., G, WASHINGTON
JOHN R. WOODEN COACH OF THE YEAR
Kyle Smith, WASHINGTON STATE
ALL-PAC-12 TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Oumar Ballo**, Arizona, C, R-Sr., Koulikoro, Mali
Adem Bona, UCLA, F, So., Ebonyi, Nigeria
Keion Brooks Jr., Washington, F, Gr., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Branden Carlson**, Utah, C, Sr., South Jordan, Utah
N'Faly Dante**, Oregon, C, Sr., Bamako, Mali
Isaac Jones, Washington State, F, 5th, Spanaway, Wash.
Caleb Love, Arizona, G, Sr., St. Louis, Mo.
Myles Rice, Washington State, G, R-Fr., Columbia, S.C.
KJ Simpson, Colorado, G, Jr., Panorama City, Calif.
Jaylon Tyson, California, G, Jr., Plano, Texas
SECOND TEAM
Jermaine Couisnard, Oregon, G, Sr., East Chicago, Ind.
Tristan da Silva, Colorado, F, Sr., Munich, Germany
Boogie Ellis, USC, G, 5th, San Diego, Calif.
Pelle Larsson, Arizona, G, Sr., Nacka, Sweden
Maxime Raynaud, Stanford, F, Jr., Paris, France
HONORABLE MENTION (receiving at least three votes): Isaiah Collier, USC; Frankie Collins, ASU; Jordan Pope, OSU; Deivon Smith, UTAH; Jaylen Wells, WSU.
* denotes number of All-Pac-12 First Team honors
PAC-12 ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Isaiah Collier, USC, G, Atlanta, Ga.
Sebastian Mack, UCLA, G, Chicago, Ill.
Myles Rice, Washington State, G, Columbia, S.C.
Jackson Shelstad, Oregon, G, West Linn, Ore.
Cody Williams, Colorado, F, Gilbert, Ariz.
HONORABLE MENTION (receiving at least three votes): Kanaan Carlyle, STAN; KJ Lewis, ARIZ.
PAC-12 ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Oumar Ballo, Arizona, C, R-Sr., Koulikoro, Mali
Adem Bona**, UCLA, F, So., Ebonyi, Nigeria
Frankie Collins, Arizona State, G, Jr., Sacramento, Calif.
N'Faly Dante, Oregon, C, Sr., Bamako, Mali
Kobe Johnson**, USC, G, Jr., Milwaukee, Wis.
HONORABLE MENTION (receiving at least three votes): Keshad Johnson, ARIZ; Spencer Jones, STAN; Joshua Morgan, USC; KJ Simpson, COLO.
Players Mentioned
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