Gonzaga’s Filip Petrusev makes Wooden Award national ballot

Gonzaga sophomore Filip Petrusev has earned a couple of awards and continues to be under consideration for several others.

Petrusev on Saturday was named one of 15 players on the national ballot for the Wooden Award, presented to the nation’s most outstanding player. The 6-foot-11 Serbian wasn’t on the Wooden Award preseason watch list, but he cracked the midseason top 25 announced on Jan. 9.

Petrusev has been named West Coast Conference Player of the Year and joined teammates Killian Tillie and Corey Kispert as first-team selections. Petrusev is a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar center of the year award and he’s a candidate for two other national player of the year awards.

Petrusev paces No. 2 Gonzaga with averages of 17.8 points and 7.8 rebounds.

The Pac-12 is represented by Oregon’s Payton Pritchard. San Diego State’s Malachi Flynn, a transfer from Washington State, also made the ballot. Kansas, with Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike, is the only program with two of the top 15. Five finalists will be announced April 1.

Former Zags Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke made the 10-player Wooden All-American team last season.