Pac-12 Men's basketball closes out non-conference play this week
#PAC12HOOPS STARTING FIVE:
1 - ARIZONA STATE handed then-No. 1 Kansas its first loss of the season, 80-76, behind a thrilling second half rally with five players scoring in double digits. The Sun Devils collected its fourth victory over a top 15 ranked squad in the last two seasons.
- This marked the first time ASU defeated a No. 1 team on its home court. The last time the Sun Devils defeated a No. 1 team was against OREGON STATE on the road in 1981.
4.09 - OREGON STATE’s big man Kylor Kelley has been a blocking machine this season, currently leading the country with 4.09 blocks per game. His nine blocks against Pepperdine on on Dec. 17 set a school record and is tied for the second-most swatted shots by a player this year.
- OREGON’s Bol Bol leads all freshmen and ranks 15th nationally in the same category, averaging 2.67 blocked shots per game.
14 - UTAH has won 14 consecutive non-conference home games, dating back to Nov. 25, 2016. This year, the Utes are undefeated in the Huntsman Center (5-0).
- The Utes put their home win streak to the test in their final non-conference game against No. 6 Nevada this Saturday. The last time Utah defeated a top 10 non-conference opponent was on Dec. 3, 2014 when the Utes downed No. 8 Wichita State at home in overtime.
57 - There have been 57 double-doubles recorded by 25 Pac-12 players through non-conference play. Every league team has seen at least one player record a double-double this year.
- UCLA’s Moses Brown had the third-most double doubles among freshmen with four on the year. ARIZONA STATE’s Zylan Cheatham is just one of 16 players in the country to record a triple-double.
89-4 - With a 70-68 win over UC Davis last week, ARIZONA improved to 89-4 at the McKale Center since the start of the 2013-14 season, the best home mark in the country in that stretch.
- The Wildcats also have the fifth-highest cumulative attendance of any team in the country and the best in the league.
PAC-12 TIPOFF:
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: Based on opponents’ win percentage through Dec. 25 games, four Pac-12 programs have faced top 25 schedules:
- 6. WASHINGTON - .714
- 14. UCLA - .700
- 23. ARIZONA - .663
- 25. CALIFORNIA - .662
FRESHMEN COLLECTORS: The Pac-12 boasts two of the most proficient rebounders on both sides of the glass.
- OREGON’s Bol Bol leads all freshmen in defensive rebounds per game with 7.44 and ranks 19th nationally.
- UCLA’s Moses Brown leads all freshmen in offensive rebounds per game with 3.75 and ranks 11th nationally.
MEN OF STEAL: NCAA Division I’s career steals leaders both hail from the Pac-12 as WASHINGTON’s Matisse Thybulle (243) and OREGON’s Ehab Amin (234) rank first and second, respectively
CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded Standings)
| Teams | Pac-12 Record | Overall Record |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona State | 0-0 | 9-2 |
| Colorado | 0-0 | 9-3 |
| Arizona | 0-0 | 9-4 |
| Oregon | 0-0 | 8-4 |
| Washington | 0-0 | 8-4 |
| Oregon State | 0-0 | 7-4 |
| Washington State | 0-0 | 7-5 |
| UCLA | 0-0 | 7-5 |
| Utah | 0-0 | 6-5 |
| Stanford | 0-0 | 6-5 |
| USC | 0-0 | 6-6 |
| California | 0-0 | 5-6 |
UPCOMING SCHEDULE (All Times Pacific - Expanded Schedule Details)
| Saturday, Dec. 29 | TV | Time |
| #6 Nevada at UTAH | PAC12 | 11 a.m. |
| Santa Clara at WASHINGTON STATE (1) | PAC12 | 11 a.m. |
| Princeton at #17 ARIZONA STATE | PAC12 | 1 p.m. |
| Liberty at UCLA | PAC12 | 3 p.m. |
| OREGON at Boise State | ESPN2 | 4:30 p.m. |
| Seattle at CALIFORNIA | PAC12 | 5 p.m. |
| Central Connecticut at OREGON STATE | PAC12 | 5 p.m. |
| Long Beach State at STANFORD | PAC12 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, Dec. 30 | TV | Time |
| UC Davis at USC | PAC12 | 6 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Jan. 1 | TV | Time |
| Cal State Fullerton at WASHINGTON | PAC12 | 7 p.m. |
1 - Spokane, Wash. (Spokane Arena)
PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
NATIONAL HONORS
NCAA.com Player of the Week:
Luguentz Dort, Arizona State (Nov. 26)
NCAA.com Team of the Week:
Arizona State (Dec. 24)