STANFORD, Calif. – Sophomore KZ Okpala and senior Josh Sharma earned All-Pac-12 honors, as announced by the conference following a vote of the league's coaches. Okpala was a First Team All-Pac-12 selection, while Sharma was an honorable mention pick.
Okpala, who was named a semifinalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in scoring, averaging 17.1 ppg. The sophomore owns 15 20-point games this season, the second-most of anyone in the Pac-12. Okpala also ranks 16th in the conference in rebounds (5.8 rpg) and 11th in defensive rebounds (4.6 drpg). He ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring in conference games, averaging 17.5 ppg.
The forward scored a career-high 30 points in the win at California in February. He recorded four consecutive 20-point games for the first time in his career in the middle of the conference season, achieving the mark against Arizona (29), Arizona State (21), Washington (22) and Utah (22). The sophomore earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors in November, after averaging 29.0 ppg in victories over Seattle and UNC Wilmington.
Sharma, a strong candidate to be the Pac-12's Most Improved Player, nearly averaged a double-double in conference play at 11.2 ppg and 8.2 rpg. He leads the Pac-12 in field goal percentage overall (68.7%) and in conference action (73.3%). His field goal percentage this season is a Stanford single-season record and the best mark in the Pac-12 in 22 years. Sharma's career field goal percentage of 56.5% is seventh-best in program history.
The senior also ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in offensive rebounds (4.6 orpg), seventh in blocks (1.3 bpg) and 10th in rebounding (6.9 rpg) overall this season. Sharma has played in all 30 games with 23 starts. Over the final eight games of the regular season, he has averaged 14.3 ppg and 10.2 rpg.
It's the first all-conference honors for both individuals.
Stanford (15-15, 8-12 Pac-12) is the No. 10 seed in this week's Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas, and will face No. 7 seed UCLA in its tournament opener on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.