Washington’s Koren Johnson honored as Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year

Guard Koren Johnson took a major step forward in his sophomore season and was honored as the Pac-12’s Sixth Player of the Year.

Sophomore guard Koren Johnson was an integral part of the Washington Huskies in 2023 and has been named the Pac-12’s Sixth Player of the Year for his efforts.

In his second year under coach Mike Hopkins, Johnson took a big step forward in his development, averaging 10.9 points per game while shooting 43.7 percent from the field. He started four games this season while scoring 15+ points eight times, including a career-high 30-point output against the Stanford Cardinal.

The product of Garfield High School in Seattle has become a key figure with the Huskies over his two seasons on Montlake and if he decides to return to play for Washington’s next head coach in 2024, he could be the focal point of the offense.

With the honor, Johnson becomes the first Husky to win a major conference award since the 2018-19 season, when Jaylen Nowell was honored as the Pac-12 Player of the Year and Matisse Thybulle won the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

As the Huskies prepare for a matchup with the USC Trojans on Wednesday in the Pac-12 Tournament, Johnson could be a key factor if Hopkins’ team can find some success in Las Vegas.