Top-half matchups mark start of Pac-12 men's basketball second half

COMPLETE RELEASE

#PAC12HOOPS STARTING FIVE

1-6 - Teams entering the week in the top half of the league standings will all meet this week to open the second half of Pac-12 league play.
>> ARIZONA at WASHINGTON, USC at UCLA, OREGON at STANFORD

6 - Preseason Pac-12 favorites ARIZONA and USC have surged to the top of the standings, both having won six consecutive games.
>> Preseason favorite and league leader Arizona has won 15 of its last 16 since a three-game November slide.
>> Similarly, the second-place Trojans have won eight of their last nine, 11-of-13, and 13-of-16 since a three-game skid in early December.

6th - For the first time since 1987, the Pac-12 will recognize a Sixth Man of the Year as part of the year-end Conference awards. To be eligible, players must not exceed more than 1/3 starts in league games.
>> The honor was discontinued after being awarded four times from 1984-87.

7 & 9 - Seven Pac-12 teams are in the NCAA RPI Top 75 and nine are in the top 100, both tied for the third-most nationally. Five Pac-12 teams are in the top 50 (ARIZ, USC, ASU, UTAH, WASH).
>> Nine NCAA RPI Top 100 teams would equal the most ever for the Conference (2015-16).

10.1 - Through 54 league games as of Jan. 29, the average scoring margin is 10.1 points.
>> 31 games have been decided by single digits
>> 10 have been decided by one possession (3 pts. or less)
>> 3 have gone into overtime (4 total OT periods)
>> 1 decided on final play (Daejon Davis, STANFORD - 1/7 vs. USC)

PAC-12 TIPOFF

TEAMMATES, POW: It marks the 20th time since the creation of the POW award (1983-84) that at least three teammates earned the honor in a season (ARIZONA's Ayton, Ristic, Trier). Below are the number of times a program has accomplished the feat:
ARIZONA - 8
UCLA - 3
ASU/ORE/STAN - 2
CAL/USC/WASH - 1

SERIES STREAKS: Two of the longest Pac-12 series win streaks will be on the line as ARIZONA visits the Pacific Northwest:
>> 16 - Arizona vs. Stanford (2009)
>> 12 - Arizona vs. Washington State (2011)
>> 8 - Arizona vs. Washington (2013); Colorado vs. Stanford (2013); Utah vs. Washington State (2014)
>> 7 - Oregon vs. Arizona State (2014)

MUCH IMPROVED: According to NCAA research, three Pac-12 teams are currently among the top 30 most improved in the nation, featuring OREGON STATE and WASHINGTON both in the top 5.
>> 3. OREGON STATE - +12.0 (11-9 from 5-27)
>> 5. WASHINGTON - +11.0 (15-6 from 9-22)
>> 27. ARIZONA STATE - +7.0 (16-5 from 15-18)

RECORDS WATCH: Several Pac-12 teams and players have set marks or are climbing/on pace for game, season or career records lists:

WASHINGTON STATE
>> 232 3FGM, on pace to break Pac-12 season record (354, UCLA 2016-17)

OREGON
>> .790 FT, on pace to break Pac-12 season record (.786, ARIZ 2003-04)

Jordan McLaughlin, USC
>> 634 career assists, 10th on Pac-12 career list (2 shy of ninth)
>> 189 career steals, 36 shy of Pac-12 career top 10

Deandre Ayton, ARIZONA
>> 19.5 ppg, on pace for Pac-12 freshman season top 10
>> 10.7 rpg, on pace to break Pac-12 freshman season record (10.6, Kevin Love, UCLA 2008)

Tra Holder, ARIZONA STATE
>> 490-of-643 FT, 42 FTM and 52 FTA shy of Pac-12 career top 10

Thomas Welsh, UCLA
>> 907 career rebounds, 29th all-time in Pac-12

Kingsley Okoroh, CALIFORNIA
>> 179 career blocks, 12 shy of Pac-12 career top 10

Elijah Brown, OREGON
>> .963 FT%, on pace to break Pac-12 season record (.950, Rod Foster, UCLA, 1982)

Kenny Wooten, OREGON
>> 58 blocks, 8th on Pac-12 freshman season list