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Undefeated UCLA, USC pace Pac-12 men's basketball entering December

Nov 29, 2016
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

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Among the 19 games scheduled for Pac-12 teams this week, four will come against teams ranked in the top 12 of this week's Associated Press poll. Three of those four meetings will be broadcast nationally on CBS and ESPN on Saturday.

#PAC12HOOPS STARTING FIVE

4 -  Different freshmen leading the Pac-12 in statistical categories through Nov. 28: WASHINGTON’s Markelle Fultz (23.0 ppg), UCLA’s Lonzo Ball (9.1 apg), USC’s De’Anthony Melton (3.0 spg), and UCLA’s TJ Leaf (53.3% 3FG). Ball is also the NCAA Division I assists leader.

5.4 - Average total blocked shots per game by Pac-12 teams, the highest rate in the country. Five teams are ranked inside the national top 25: OREGON (2nd, 8.3 bpg), WASHINGTON (3rd, 8.0 bpg), UCLA (13th, 6.4 bpg), USC (15th, 6.3 bpg) and CALIFORNIA (23rd, 5.8 bpg).

13-0 - Combined record of the L.A. schools, two of 22 remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division I as of Nov. 28. UCLA (7-0) owns its best AP ranking at No. 11 since Feb. 2009, and USC (6-0) is off to its best start since going 8-0 to open the 2000-01 season.

15 - Number of key Pac-12 players, including several starters, who have missed or will miss games in non-conference play: ARIZONA (A. Trier, K. Allen), CALIFORNIA (J. Bird, G. Mullins, I. Rabb, K. Rooks), COLORADO (D. Collier, B. Peters), OREGON (D. Brooks, M.J. Cage), OREGON STATE (S. Thompson Jr., T. Tinkle), UCLA (A. Olesinski, I. Anigbogu), USC (B. Boatwright).

78.7 - Scoring average of all Pac-12 teams through Nov. 28, good for fourth nationally, led by two teams ranked in the top 10 in the category in UCLA (3rd, 96.9 ppg) and WASHINGTON (9th, 91.0 ppg). The Bruins also lead the nation in assists per game (24.1 apg) and field goal percentage (54.7% FG).

PAC-12 TIPOFF

HOME SWEET HOME: Three Pac-12 teams have built double-digit home court win streaks. OREGON owns the nation’s fourth-longest home streak at 28 consecutive games, while CALIFORNIA ranks sixth with 23 home wins in a row and COLORADO is 13th at 12 straight home victories.

FINAL FOUR BAROMETER?: UCLA hoisted the hardware at The Wooden Legacy, which could prove to be a postseason predictor based on recent history.

All four 2016 Final Four participants won an in-season tournament title, and at least two in-season tournament championship teams have reached the Final Four in seven of the last eight seasons. Dating to 2008-09, 17 of the last 32 Final Four qualifiers have won an in-season tourney.  

KEY NON-CONFERENCE WINS (thru 11/28)
POWER 6 OPPONENTS (7-9)
#10 ARIZONA 65, #12 Michigan State 63 (Honolulu, HI)
USC 65, at Texas A&M 63
OREGON 69, Tennessee 65 (OT) (Lahaina, Hawaii)
COLORADO 68, #22 Texas 54 (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
UCLA 82, Nebraska 71 (Fullerton, Calif.)
STANFORD 66, Seton Hall 52 (Orlando, Fla.)
#14 UCLA 74, Texas A&M 67 (Anaheim, Calif.)

PRESEASON CONFERENCE FAVORITES (4-2)
at STANFORD 67, Weber State 49
at OREGON 76, Valparaiso 54
at UCLA 114, Long Beach State 77
at WASHINGTON 94, Long Beach State 88

2016 NCAA/NIT TOURNAMENT TEAMS (11-12)
#10 ARIZONA 65, #12 Michigan State 63 (Honolulu, HI)
at CALIFORNIA 82, South Dakota State 53
at ARIZONA 78, CSU Bakersfield 66
at STANFORD 67, Weber State 49
at OREGON 76, Valparaiso 54
USC 65, at Texas A&M 63
at UCLA 114, Long Beach State 77
at WASHINGTON 94, Long Beach State 88
OREGON 79, Connecticut 69 (Lahaina, Hawaii)
STANFORD 66, Seton Hall 52 (Orlando, Fla.)
#14 UCLA 74, Texas A&M 67 (Anaheim, Calif.)