Scorching start continues for Pac-12 Men's Basketball as Feast Week nears

COMPLETE RELEASE

#PAC12HOOPS STARTING FIVE:

.907 - Pac-12 Men’s Basketball’s .907 non-conference winning percentage (39-4) through Nov. 18 is the best of any league in the country (includes CU/ASU Pac-12 China Game non-conference matchup).
• The mark through 43 games is ahead of the pace from the 2015-16 season (37-6) when the Conference won 78.0 percent (117-33) of its non-conference games and sent a league-record seven teams to the NCAA Tournament.

4 - For the second straight week, the Pac-12 boasts four AP Top 25 teams, tied for the most of any conference in the country.
• No. 11 OREGON is the league’s highest ranked team since March 2018 (#12 Arizona). It marks the Ducks’ best AP ranking since closing the 2016-17 season at No. 9 prior to reaching the Final Four.

18 - Ten Pac-12 programs have announced the signing of 18 student-athletes so far in the early signing period for the class of 2020-21, highlighted by top 25 classes from UTAH (#8) and STANFORD (#22) according to 247Sports (full list of signees on Pg. 4 of notes).
• Of the 18, seven are top 100 prospects according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings, including the  No. 1 overall prospect Evan Mobley (USC) and No. 1 point guard Daishen Nix (UCLA).

84.6 - ARIZONA freshman Zeke Nnaji enters the week as the NCAA Division I leader in field-goal percentage at 84.6 percent (33-39). He has converted 17 consecutive field-goal attempts over his past three games.

3,000 - Powered by the league’s 39-4 start, current Pac-12 head coaches have combined for exactly 3,000 victories in their careers.
• OREGON’s Dana Altman is one victory shy of becoming the 37th coach all-time to reach 650 victories at the NCAA Division I level.

PAC-12 TIPOFF:

FOUR FACTORS: Early this season, Pac-12 programs have combined to rank highly in NCAA Division I in the four efficiency factors. Below are the league’s national ranks through Nov. 18 games:

Shooting - 2nd in NCAA (47% FG); 1st in NCAA (38% 3FG)
Turnovers - 1st in NCAA (12.9/gm)
Rebounding - 5th in NCAA (39.8 rebs/gm)
Free Throws - 8th in NCAA (14.3 FTM/gm)

FRESH STARTS: The Pac-12’s three newest head coaches - Mark Fox (Cal, 4-0), Mick Cronin (UCLA, 4-0) and Kyle Smith (WSU, 2-1) -  have done their part in helping the Conference get off to a quick start as the trio has combined for a 10-1 record so far this season.
• It marks the first time since 2014-15 that three new head coaches debuted on Pac-12 sidelines.

KEY NON-CONFERENCE WINS:
POWER 6 OPPONENTS (5-3)
COLORADO 81, ARIZONA STATE 71 (Shanghai, China)
WASHINGTON 67, #16 Baylor 64 (Anchorage, Alaska)
at OREGON STATE 80, Iowa State 74
at #19 ARIZONA 90, Illinois 69
at UTAH 73, Minnesota 69

PRESEASON CONFERENCE FAVORITES (4-0)
#14 OREGON 82, #13 Memphis 74 (Portland, Ore.)
at #19 ARIZONA 83, New Mexico State 53
at #23 COLORADO 69, UC Irvine 53
at CALIFORNIA 54, Prairie View A&M 50

2019 NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS (10-2)
COLORADO 81, ARIZONA STATE 71 (Shanghai, China)
WASHINGTON 67, #16 Baylor 64 (Anchorage, Alaska)
at STANFORD 73, Montana 62
UTAH 79, at Nevada 74
at OREGON STATE 80, Iowa State 74
at UTAH 73, Minnesota 69
at #19 ARIZONA 83, New Mexico State 53
USC 76, at Nevada 66
at #23 COLORADO 69, UC Irvine 53
at CALIFORNIA 54, Prairie View A&M 50

CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded Standings)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (All Time Pacific - Expanded Schedule)

1 - Myrtle Beach Invitational, Conway, S.C.; 2 - 2K Empire Classic Benefiting Wounded Warrior Project, New York, N.Y.; 3 - Air Force Reserve Tip-Off Tournament, Uncasville, Conn.; 4 - MGM Resorts Main Event, Las Vegas, Nev.; 5 - Cayman Islands Classic, George Town, Cayman Islands; 6 - CBE Hall of Fame Classic, Kansas City, Mo.; 7 - Maui Jim Maui Invitational, Lahaina, Hawai’i.

PAC-12 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK