Conference clashes highlight Pac-12 Men's Basketball holiday hoops slate

COMPLETE RELEASE

#PAC12HOOPS STARTING FIVE:

1-of-2 - STANFORD is 1-of-2 power conference programs with multiple non-conference road victories (Oklahoma State 3).
• The Cardinal is one of three power conference programs yet to play a game at its traditional home venue so far this season (DePaul, South Carolina). It has won four straight contests - two on the road (North Carolina A&T, CSUN) and two at its temporary home venue in Santa Cruz (Arizona, CSU Bakersfield).

6 - The Pac-12 currently boasts six teams in the top 50 of the KenPom.com rankings, led by OREGON (19) and COLORADO (24) in the top 25. The NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) is slated to debut on Jan. 4, 2021.
• The Buffaloes won three games last week by an average of 34 points, climbing 34 spots in KenPom.com rankings in the process (58 on Dec. 12, 24 on Dec. 22).

7-0 - WASHINGTON STATE is off to a 7-0 start, marking the program’s best start since opening 14-0 to begin the 2007-08 season.
• Dating back to last season, the Cougars have reeled off eight consecutive wins - the longest streak in the Pac-12 and tied for fifth-longest among NCAA Division I programs (New Mexico State 21, Siena 10, Winthrop 10, Gonzaga 9, seven tied 8).

7 - Only seven games dot this week’s holiday schedule, highlighted by a pair of Conference clashes.
• UCLA visits 25th-ranked OREGON on Wednesday afternoon on ESPN2. The Bruins were picked as the media’s preseason favorite to win the Pac-12 regular-season title, while the Ducks finished third in the polling and had the second-most first-place votes (seven). Seven of the last eight meetings have been decided by single-digits, including five one-possession finishes and a pair of overtime games.
• COLORADO is slated to play its first Conference game when it visits ARIZONA on Monday, Dec. 28. The Buffaloes routed WASHINGTON (92-69) on Sunday in a non-conference game played in Las Vegas.

26 - OREGON has won 26 consecutive games at Matthew Knight Arena, the fourth-longest home win streak in NCAA Division I, including the longest among major conference programs (Gonzaga 40, Liberty 28, Prairie View A&M 27).
• UCLA extended its win streak at Pauley Pavilion to 11 consecutive games - second-best in the Pac-12 and tied for 18th-best nationally - with a 69-60 triumph over Marquette on Dec. 11.

KEY NON-CONFERENCE VICTORIES:

POWER 6 OPPONENTS (5-9)
at Oregon State 71, California 63
Colorado 76, at Kansas State 58
Stanford 82, Alabama 64 (Asheville, N.C.)
#21 Oregon 83, Seton Hall 70 (Omaha, Neb.)
at UCLA 69, Marquette 60

PRESEASON CONFERENCE FAVORITES (5-4)
at Washington State 56, Texas Southern 52
at Washington State 71, Eastern Washington 68
at Arizona 70, Eastern Washington 67
at Oregon 69, Eastern Washington 52
at USC 91, UC Irvine 56

CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded Standings) 

PAC-12 WEEKLY SCHEDULE  (All games, tip times & TV broadcasts are subject to change)
For the most up-to-date schedules, visit Expanded Schedule

PAC-12 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK