Pac-12 Men's Basketball Weekly Release - Dec. 21, 2021

COMPLETE RELEASE

#PAC12MBB STARTING FIVE:

2 & 0? - With a No. 6 ARIZONA victory at No. 19 Tennessee on Wednesday, coupled with USC’s perfect 10-0 non-league mark, it would mark just the fourth time two Conference teams have gone undefeated in non-conference play dating to the founding of the Pac-8 in 1967.

• 2016-17: UCLA (13-0) and USC (13-0)
• 2013-14: ARIZONA (13-0) and OREGON (12-0)
• 1994-95: STANFORD (9-0) and UCLA (9-0)

2-of-6 - ARIZONA and USC are 2-of-6 undefeated teams remaining in NCAA Division I through Dec. 20 games.

• The Wildcats are 11-0 for the first time since starting the 2014-15 season 12-0, while the Trojans (12-0) are off to their best start since 2016-17 (14-0) with an NCAA Division I-leading 12 wins.
• The Pac-12 is 1-of-2 conferences with two remaining unbeaten teams (Big 12 - Baylor, Iowa State).

3 - For a sixth consecutive week, three Pac-12 Men's Basketball programs appear in the Associated Press Top 25 with No. 5 UCLA, No. 6 ARIZONA and No. 8 USC.

• It marks the first week with three Pac-12 teams in the top 8 of the AP rankings since the March 6, 2017 poll.
• It’s the second straight week with three AP top 10 teams; the 2016-17 season featured three AP top 10 teams for a total of seven weeks, including a late-season stretch of six straight weeks; prior to 2016-17, the most recent poll with three AP top 10 teams was Feb. 2, 1999.
• It is the highest AP ranking for USC since the final poll of the 1991-92 season (No. 8). The Trojans were last ranked better than No. 8 in the AP poll on Jan. 27, 1975 (No. 6).

3 > 4? - STANFORD is set to compete in this week’s Diamond Head Classic, the final multi-team event of the 2021-22 season.

• A Cardinal MTE title would be the national-best fourth for Pac-12 programs this season, which would match the league high set in 2017-18 (ARIZONA - MGM Main Event; USC - The Wooden Legacy; UTAH - Sunshine Slam).

11-0 - With wins in his first 11 games as head coach, ARIZONA’s Tommy Lloyd is tied for the third-best coaching debut across current members in the Conference’s 106 seasons, and the first to accomplish the feat in over a century.

• J.F. ‘Pop’ McKale, ARIZONA - 1914-17, won first 21 games as coach
• Howard Ray, OREGON STATE - 1917-18, won first 15 games as coach
• Tommy Lloyd, ARIZONA - 2021-22, won first 11 games as coach
• Walter Powell, STANFORD - 1920-21, won first 11 games as coach
• Ben Cherrington, CALIFORNIA - 1916-17, won first 11 games as coach
• Oscar Olson, WASHINGTON - 1911-12, won first 11 games as coach

PAC-12 TIPOFF

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE: ARIZONA STATE’s Kimani Lawrence and COLORADO’s Jabari Walker lead the Pac-12 and rank top-10 in NCAA Division I with six double-doubles apiece.

• Among the Power Conferences, the pair are tied for fourth nationally.

KEY NON-CONFERENCE WINS

AP TOP 25 OPPONENTS (2-10)
at #2 UCLA 86, #4 Villanova 77 (OT)
ARIZONA 80, #4 Michigan 62 (Las Vegas, Nev.)

POWER 6 OPPONENTS (7-14)
at #2 UCLA 86, #4 Villanova 77 (OT)
UTAH 68, Boston College 61 (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
ARIZONA 80, #4 Michigan 62 (Las Vegas, Nev.)
#11 ARIZONA 83, at Illinois 79
#4 UCLA 67, at Marquette 56
ARIZONA STATE 58, at Creighton 57
#10 USC 67, Georgia Tech 53 (Phoenix, Ariz.)

ROAD OPPONENTS (6-6)
USC 76, at Temple 71
USC 78, at Florida Gulf Coast 61
#2 UCLA 73, at UNLV 51
#11 ARIZONA 83, at Illinois 79
#4 UCLA 67, at Marquette 56
ARIZONA STATE 58, at Creighton 57

KENPOM.COM TOP 100 OPPONENTS (11-24)
at #2 UCLA 86, #4 Villanova 77 (OT)
at #13 OREGON 86, SMU 63
ARIZONA 82, Wichita State 78 (OT) (Las Vegas, Nev.)
ARIZONA 80, #4 Michigan 62 (Las Vegas, Nev.)
WASHINGTON 87, South Dakota State 76 (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
#24 USC 58, San Diego State 43 (Anaheim, Calif.)
at CALIFORNIA 65, Fresno State 57
at CALIFORNIA 72, Santa Clara 60
#11 ARIZONA 83, at Illinois 79
#4 UCLA 67, at Marquette 56
ARIZONA STATE 58, at Creighton 57

PRESEASON CONFERENCE FAVORITES (7-4)
at #13 OREGON 83, Texas Southern 66
at #2 UCLA 86, #4 Villanova 77 (OT)
at WASHINGTON 72, Texas Southern 65
at WASHINGTON STATE 73, UC Santa Barbara 65
at CALIFORNIA 75, Southern Utah 68 (2OT)
at WASHINGTON STATE 92, Winthrop 86
WASHINGTON 87, South Dakota State 76 (Sioux Falls, S.D.)

2021 NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS (14-16)
at #13 OREGON 83, Texas Southern 66
at UTAH 70, Abilene Christian 56
at #2 UCLA 86, #4 Villanova 77 (OT)
at WASHINGTON 72, Texas Southern 65
at WASHINGTON STATE 73, UC Santa Barbara 65
ARIZONA 82, Wichita State 78 (OT) (Las Vegas, Nev.)
ARIZONA 80, #4 Michigan 62 (Las Vegas, Nev.)
at WASHINGTON STATE 92, Winthrop 86
#24 USC 58, San Diego State 43 (Anaheim, Calif.)
at Colorado 60, Eastern Washington 57
#11 Arizona 83, at Illinois 79
at Arizona State 67, Grand Canyon 62
ARIZONA STATE 58, at Creighton 57
#10 USC 67, Georgia Tech 53 (Phoenix, Ariz.)

PRESEASON NATIONAL AWARDS

AP PRESEASON FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN
Johnny Juzang, UCLA

NABC NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Watch List
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
Johnny Juzang, UCLA

NAISMITH TROPHY NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Watch List
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
Johnny Juzang, UCLA
Isaiah Mobley, USC
Will Richardson, Oregon

WOODEN AWARD NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Watch List
Tyger Campbell, UCLA
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
Johnny Juzang, UCLA
Isaiah Mobley, USC
Will Richardson, Oregon

NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME AWARDS
Watch Lists

Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year
Tyger Campbell, UCLA
Will Richardson, Oregon

Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year
De’Vion Harmon, Oregon
Johnny Juzang, UCLA
Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona

Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year
Marcus Bagley, Arizona State
Harrison Ingram, Stanford
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
Jabari Walker, Colorado

Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year
Quincy Guerrier, Oregon
Isaiah Mobley, USC
Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year
Myles Johnson, UCLA

SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Top 30 Candidates
Evan Battey, Colorado
Jules Bernard, UCLA
Myles Johnson, UCLA

PAC-12 MEN'S BASKETBALL INITIATIVES

YEAR 2 of 20-GAME SCHEDULE IN 2021-22; NEW 10-YEAR ANNUAL ROTATION

• The Pac-12 transitioned to a 20-game league schedule in 2020-21 in an effort to add more competitive and higher quality regional games to schedules and to elevate the national branding of Pac-12 men’s basketball. In addition to the second season of 20 league games, the Pac-12 unveiled in May 2021 a new 10-year annual opponent rotation for 2021-31. More details at pac12.me/21-22MBBsched.

NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE STANDARDS

• The Pac-12 implemented non-conference scheduling standards beginning with the 2020-21 season with goals of improving out-of-league schedule strength and increasing the number of NCAA Tournament selections. The standards include: (i) a non-Conference five-year trailing average of opponents’ NET ranking must be 175 or less, (ii) no participation in road buy games, (iii) no regular season games against non-Division I opponents and (iv) no road games versus a non-conference opponent with a five-year trailing average of 200 NET.

THE ALLIANCE

• On Aug. 24, the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 announced an historic alliance that will bring 41 world-class institutions together on a collaborative approach surrounding the future evolution of college athletics and scheduling. The alliance – which was unanimously supported by the presidents, chancellors and athletics directors at all 41 institutions – will be guided in all cases by a commitment to, and prioritization of, supporting student-athlete well-being, academic and athletic opportunities, experiences and diverse educational programming. More details at pac12.me/Alliance.

PAC-12 TITLE GAME MOVES TO FOX

• The 2022 Pac-12 Tournament Championship Game on Saturday, March 12 will be broadcast by FOX for the first time. The title contest will tip off at 6 p.m. PT with a lead-in from the BIG EAST Championship. It will mark the title game’s first airing on a broadcast network since 2012 (CBS).

PAC-12 US LBM COAST-TO-COAST CHALLENGE

• After having the planned 2020 quadrupleheader canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Conference launched the Pac-12 US LBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge in 2021 – a unique non-conference scheduling event designed to provide opportunities for its programs against quality opponents in marquee markets around the country. More details at pac12.me/C2CChallenge21.

2021 Pac-12 US LBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge
Sunday, Dec. 19 - T-Mobile Arena - Las Vegas
12:00 p.m. PT - #17 Texas 60, STANFORD 53 (men) - ABC
2:30 p.m. PT -  #11 Texas 74, San Diego 58 (women) - ESPN2 (ARIZONA DNP due to COVID protocols)

PAC-12, SWAC CREATE PARTNERSHIP

• In 2022-23, the Pac-12 and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) will launch an educational and scheduling agreement featuring first-of-its-kind home-and-home series. The men’s and women’s basketball partnership is aimed at creating both a forum for competition, as well as promotion and education around issues of anti-racism and social justice. The partnership is set to begin in Nov. 2022, with six matchups for the initial men’s cycle determined. More details at pac12.me/Pac-12-SWAC.

MCLENDON MINORITY LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE

• In July 2020, every head men’s basketball coach from the Pac-12 Conference pledged his support to participate in the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative to provide minorities a jump-start to their careers through practical experiences, opportunities to build their network, and instilling the values of John McLendon: Integrity, Education, Leadership, and Mentorship.

PAC-12, CHASE CENTER TO HOST NCAA WEST REGIONAL IN 2022 & 2025

• The Pac-12 Conference, Chase Center and the Golden State Warriors will serve as hosts for this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship West Regional March 24 & 26, 2022. The groups also will serve as West Regional hosts in 2025.
• It will mark the first time the NCAA Tournament will be played within the city of San Francisco since the West Regional was staged at the California Coliseum on Treasure Island in March 1939. Daly City’s Cow Palace (1955, 1958-60), Oakland’s Oracle Arena (1990, 1995, 2006) and San Jose’s SAP Center (1997, 2002, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019) are among the other Bay Area venues to host the tourney.
• Additionally, ARIZONA STATE will serve as host of the 2024 NCAA Final Four at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded Standings) 

*UCLA forfeit win over Washington reflected in Conference standings per Pac-12 policy, not overall records per NCAA policy.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE (Full Schedule)

PAC-12 PERFORMANCE AWARDS PRESENTED BY NEXTIVA