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Pac-12 Men's Basketball Weekly Rundown - February 6, 2024

by Pac-12 Conference
Feb 6, 2024
Dean Hare/Washington State Athletics

Complete Release (PDF) | Schedule | Standings | Pac-12 Statistics | NCAA Statistics | Pac-12 Record Book

#PAC12MBB STARTING FIVE

T-2nd - WASHINGTON STATE is tied for second in the Pac-12 standings at 7-4, which equals its second-best Conference start through 11 games in the four-plus decades since George Raveling’s departure from the Palouse in 1983 (8-3 in 2006-07; 7-4 in 2021-22, 1992-93, 1990-91).  

  • It marks the highest league standing for the Cougars at any junction of the Pac-12 regular season since late January 2008 (T-2nd, 5-2).

4 x 40 - For the first week since mid-December, the Pac-12 has four teams inside the top 40 of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) - ARIZONA 3, COLORADO 29, UTAH 35, WASHINGTON STATE 40.

  • The Cougars have won six of their last seven games and climbed 32 spots in the NET dating to Jan. 8.

7 x 2.0 - Seven teams are within two games of first place in the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball standings entering this week, tied as the second-tightest conference race in the country behind only the Big 12 (12 teams within 2.0 games; Mountain West, Summit also 7 within 2.0).

  • Five games separate first place (ARIZONA 8-3) from last place (OSU & USC 3-8) entering this week in the Pac-12; only four leagues - the Big 12 (4.0 games, 14 teams), Conference USA (4.0, 9 teams), MEAC (4.0, 8 teams) and Summit League (4.0, 9 teams) - are closer top-to-bottom.

11.7 - Through 66 league games as of Feb. 4, the average scoring margin is 11.7 points.

  • 37 games have been decided by single digits

  • 11 games have been decided by one possession (3 pts. or less)

  • 3 overtime games (3 OT periods)

  • 3 games decided on team’s final possession (ORE at WASH; WASH at CAL; OSU vs. ARIZ)

30.3% - Road teams are 20-46 (.303) through 66 Pac-12 contests, the third-most difficult league to win on the road so far this season, and the most difficult among Power Conferences (CUSA 1st, ASun 2nd).

  • It is on pace to be the Conference’s fifth-most difficult season on the road since expansion to the Pac-10 in 1978-79 (.287/31-77 in 2015-16; .289/26-64 in 1990-91; .296/32-76 in 2019-20; .300/27-63 in 1996-97).

OFF THE BENCH

CHALLENGED: Among the nation’s top 11 rated leagues according to KenPom.com, the Pac-12 collectively played the second-most challenging non-conference slate as rated by the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) Non-Conference Strength of Schedule metric.

  • Below are the average NET Non-Conf. SOS rankings for the top 11 leagues, with the number of teams with Top 100 and 300+ Non-Conf. SOS in parentheses (* - Power Conferences with league challenge series):

Big East** - 130.7 (6/1)
Pac-12 - 140.7 (6/1)
ACC* - 158.6 (4/2)
SEC* - 162.0 (4/1)
Big Ten* - 180.2 (4/4)
Mountain West - 182.1 (3/2)
WCC - 189.8 (3/1)
AAC - 209.7 (3/4)
A-10 - 228.9 (1/3)
MVC - 229.4 (1/4)
Big 12* - 242.9 (2/5)

PAC-12 AWARDS CANDIDATES

JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR 
LATE SEASON TOP 20 WATCH LIST
Caleb Love, Arizona
KJ Simpson, Colorado

MIDSEASON TOP 25 WATCH LIST
Caleb Love, Arizona
KJ Simpson, Colorado

PRESEASON WATCH LIST 
Oumar Ballo, Arizona 
Tristan da Silva, Colorado 
N’Faly Dante, Oregon 
Adem Bona, UCLA 
Isaiah Collier, USC 
Boogie Ellis, USC

NAISMITH NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR 
WATCH LIST 
Oumar Ballo, Arizona 
Caleb Love, Arizona 
Tristan da Silva, Colorado 
Adem Bona, UCLA 
Isaiah Collier, USC 
Boogie Ellis, USC

NAISMITH MEMORIAL HALL OF FAME AWARDS  
Watch Lists/Top 10 Finalists

Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year  
Isaiah Collier, USC

Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year  
Caleb Love, Arizona (Top 10 Finalist)
Boogie Ellis, USC (Top 10 Finalist)

Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year  
Jaylon Tyson, California (Top 10 Finalist)
Keion Brooks Jr., Washington (Added as Top 10 Finalist)

Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year  
Keshad Johnson, Arizona  (Top 10 Finalist)
Tristan da Silva, Colorado  
Adem Bona, UCLA

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year  
Oumar Ballo, Arizona  
N’Faly Dante, Oregon  
Aday Mara, UCLA  
Branden Carlson, Utah (Top 10 Finalist)

PAC-12 MEDIA PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE  
First Team  
Oumar Ballo, R-Sr., C, Arizona  
Adem Bona, So., F/C, UCLA  
Keion Brooks Jr., Gr., F, Washington  
Branden Carlson, Gr., C, Utah  
Isaiah Collier, Fr., G, USC  
N’Faly Dante, Sr., C, Oregon  
Tristan da Silva, Sr., F, Colorado  
Boogie Ellis, 5th, G, USC  
Spencer Jones, 5th, F, Stanford  
KJ Simpson, Jr., G, Colorado

Second Team  
Fardaws Aimaq, 6th, F, California  
Kylan Boswell, So., G, Arizona  
Kobe Johnson, Jr., G, USC  
Caleb Love, Sr., G, Arizona  
Jordan Pope, So., G, Oregon State

Honorable Mention  
Kwame Evans Jr. (Fr., ORE), Pelle Larsson (Sr., ARIZ), Aday Mara (Fr., UCLA), Cody Williams (Fr., COLO).

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