Gonzaga forward Filip Petrusev named to Wooden Award midseason watch list

Gonzaga’s Filip Petrusev has been named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List.

Petrusev is one of five new additions, along with former Washington State guard Malachi Flynn (San Diego State), on the midseason list who weren’t on the preseason top 50. The other newcomers are Dayton’s Obi Toppin, Iowa’s Luke Garza and Michigan’s Zavier Simpson.

Petrusev, a 6-foot-11 sophomore from Serbia, leads No. 1 Gonzaga in scoring (16.6 per game), rebounding (8.1 per game) and blocks (22). He’s scored in double figures in 16 of 17 games. He’s shooting 54% from the field, and his 114 free-throw attempts are nearly double the next closest Zag (Drew Timme, 60).

Petrusev has played his way into the West Coast Conference Player of the Year conversation. He averaged 6.5 points coming off Gonzaga’s bench last season.

Gonzaga senior Killian Tillie and Washington State sophomore CJ Elleby didn’t make the midseason list after being on the preseason top 50.

The Pac-12 is represented by Oregon’s Payton Pritchard, Oregon State’s Tres Tinkle and Washington’s Isaiah Stewart.