Pac-12 Men's Basketball Weekly Release - March 8, 2022

COMPLETE RELEASE

#PAC12MBB STARTING FIVE:

1 - ARIZONA secured the outright Pac-12 regular season championship and No. 1 seed for this week’s Pac-12 Tournament by becoming the first team in Conference history to reach 18 league victories (Pac-12 transitioned to 20-game schedule in 2020-21).

• The Wildcats’ three-game lead in the final standings marked the league’s largest since Washington won by three games in 2018-19.
• Las Vegas has been historically kind to the No. 1 seed, reaching the title game every year from 2013-19. The No. 1 streak was halted with 2021’s No. 3 COLORADO vs. No. 5 OREGON STATE title tilt won by the Beavers.

3 - For the first time since 2016-17, three Pac-12 teams are ranked in the AP Top 25 entering the Conference tournament in #2 ARIZONA, #13 UCLA and #21 UCLA.

• With potential ranked matchups in the semifinals and title game, the Pac-12 could match the 2016-17 season’s total of eight ranked matchups.

10 - The Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament will enter its 10th year in Las Vegas, and sixth in T-Mobile Arena, in 2022.

• In total, this marks the 25th edition of the Pac-12 Tournament (including the canceled 2020 event).

28 & 18 - ARIZONA’s Naismith Trophy National Coach of the Year candidate Tommy Lloyd has set the Pac-12 record for Conference wins by a first-year head coach and is approaching the overall wins mark for coach in first year in the league.

• Lloyd’s 28 wins are tied for 10th-most by a first-year head coach in NCAA Division I history. North Carolina’s Bill Guthridge currently holds the record with 34 wins in 1997-98.

Overall Wins

• John A. Warren, ORE - 30 (1944-45)
• Tommy Lloyd, ARIZ - 28 (2021-22)
• Steve Alford, UCLA - 28 (2013-14)
• Gene Bartow, UCLA - 28 (1975-76)

Conference Wins

• Tommy Lloyd, ARIZ - 18 (2021-22)
• Steve Lavin, UCLA - 15 (1996-97)
• Jim Anderson, OSU - 15 (1989-90)

12.1 - Through 120 league games as of March 5, the average scoring margin is 12.1 points.

• 54 games have been decided by single digits
• 23 games have been decided by one possession (3 pts. or less)
• 6 overtime games (10 OT periods)
• 7 decided on team’s final possession (ASU at ORE; STAN vs. ORE; ASU vs. UTAH; STAN vs. ASU; USC vs. WSU; USC at ORE; ASU at UTAH)
• 17 games have been postponed (all 17 rescheduled and played)

PAC-12 TIPOFF

HEAT TO THE DESERT: Outside of league champion ARIZONA, two of the hottest teams entering this week’s Pac-12 Tournament are COLORADO and ARIZONA STATE.

• Both the Buffaloes and Sun Devils, as well as the Wildcats, have won seven of their last eight games, including four straight wins for ASU and an upset of Arizona for Colorado.
• Colorado was eighth in the league standings and No. 101 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool a month ago, has since climbed to the No. 4 seed with a first-round bye and No. 75 in the NET.
• Arizona State began February at No. 151 in the NET and has since climbed to No. 96 entering the Pac-12 tourney.

NATIONAL AWARDS CANDIDATES

SPORTING NEWS ALL-AMERICAN
Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona (Second Team)

NAISMITH TROPHY NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR
Late Season Top 15 Watch List
Tommy Lloyd, Arizona

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

NAISMITH TROPHY NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Midseason Top 30
Johnny Juzang, UCLA
Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
Isaiah Mobley, USC

Watch List
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
Johnny Juzang, UCLA
Isaiah Mobley, USC
Will Richardson, Oregon

WOODEN AWARD NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Late Season Top 20
Johnny Juzang, UCLA
Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
Isaiah Mobley, USC

Midseason Top 25
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
Johnny Juzang, UCLA
Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
Isaiah Mobley, USC

Watch List
Tyger Campbell, UCLA
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
Johnny Juzang, UCLA
Isaiah Mobley, USC
Will Richardson, Oregon

LUTE OLSON NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Midseason Watch List
Johnny Juzang, UCLA
Christian Koloko, Arizona
Isaiah Mobley, USC

NAISMITH DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Top 10 Finalist
Christian Koloko, Arizona

NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME AWARDS
Watch Lists

Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year
Tyger Campbell, UCLA (Top 5 Finalist)
Will Richardson, Oregon (Late Season Top 10)

Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year
De’Vion Harmon, Oregon
Johnny Juzang, UCLA (Top 5 Finalist)
Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona (Top 5 Finalist)

Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year
Marcus Bagley, Arizona State
Harrison Ingram, Stanford (Late Season Top 10)
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA (Top 5 Finalist)
Jabari Walker, Colorado

Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year
Quincy Guerrier, Oregon
Isaiah Mobley, USC (Late Season Top 10)
Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona (Late Season Top 10)

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

SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Finalist
Evan Battey, Colorado

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) 

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

PAC-12 PERFORMANCE AWARDS PRESENTED BY NEXTIVA

NATIONAL WEEKLY HONORS