BOSTON – Oregon’s Payton Pritchard was named the recipient of the 2019-20 Lute Olson Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top Division I player, on Wednesday by CollegeInsider.com. Pritchard is the first player from the Pac-12 to win the award. The 2020 Pac-12 Player of the Year was one of just three players nationally to average at least 20 points, four rebounds and five assists per game and was one of just four players nationally who led his conference in both scoring (20.5 points per game) and assists (5.6 per game). He joined Gary Payton (Oregon State, 1989-90), Damon Stoudamire (Arizona, 1994-95) and Jason Terry (Arizona, 1998-99) as the only players in conference history to lead the league in both scoring and assists. Like Pritchard, the previous three players to do that were all consensus first team All-Americans and Payton and Terry were National Players of the Year. Pritchard also led the league with 88 three-pointers, joining Stoudamire (112) as the only players to top all three categories in the same season. Pritchard helped Oregon to an outright Pac-12 regular season title, the Duck’s third in the last five years. Oregon finished 24-7 overall (13-5 in the conference). Named Oregon’s first consensus first team All-American in 80 years on Tuesday, Pritchard has been named a first team All-American by nine different organizations this season. Pritchard is one of five national finalists for both the Naismith Trophy and the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. He is also one of 15 student-athletes on the Wooden Award National Ballot. Named the national player of the week by three different organizations this season (Naismith Trophy, Oscar Robertson Trophy, NCAA.com) and twice named Pac-12 player of the week, Pritchard led the nation with 140 consecutive starts. He is the only player in Pac-12 history with 1,900 career points, 600 career assists and 500 career rebounds. Pritchard finished his career as school record holder in assists (659), wins (105) games played (144) and games started (140). He ranks second in both UO career steals with 211 and three-pointers with 288. His 1,938 career points rank fourth all-time at Oregon. Pritchard scored at least 20 points against 10 different Pac-12 opponents this season. The award is named in honor of Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, who won 776 games in 34 seasons, 24 of which were spent at the University of Arizona. During that stretch he led the Wildcats to 11 Pac-10 Conference titles, 23 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, four Final Four appearances and a National Championship in 1997. Olson is one of just 25 head coaches in NCAA history to win 700 or more games (all divisions) and ranks ninth on the Division I career victories list. He finished with a winning percentage of .731 and is the all-time winningest coach in Arizona history with 587-190 record (.755). He was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year seven times. Olson also guided Arizona to 20 consecutive 20-win seasons, and is one of only three coaches in NCAA history to record 29 or more 20-win seasons. Lute Olson Award Winners: 2020 Payton Pritchard, Oregon; 2019 Ja Morant, Murray State; 2018 Jalen Brunson, Villanova; 2017 Caleb Swanigan, Purdue; 2016 Denzel Valentine, Michigan State; 2015 Cameron Payne, Murray State; 2014 Doug McDermott, Creighton; 2013 Shane Larkin, Miami; 2012 Doug McDermott, Creighton; 2011 Kemba Walker, Connecticut; 2010 Sherron Collins, Kansas.
