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Pac-12 Men's Basketball Weekly Rundown - January 23, 2024

by Pac-12 Conference
Jan 23, 2024
Rebecca Sasnett

Complete Release (PDF) | Schedule | Standings | Pac-12 Statistics | NCAA Statistics | Pac-12 Record Book

#PAC12MBB STARTING FIVE

1st - Week 5 of Pac-12 Men’s Basketball league play will feature a battle among league leaders as No. 9 ARIZONA and ARIZONA STATE travel to OREGON with all three teams tied for first at 5-2 in Conference action entering the week.

  • The Ducks have won six straight against the Wildcats in Eugene dating to 2017, while the Sun Devils have won at Matthew Knight Arena the past two seasons.

  • COLORADO and UTAH could join the first-place party at a half-game back of the leaders, though both would need their first league road victories of the season in Washington - a state the Runnin’ Utes have enjoyed more success than the Buffaloes in the Pac-12 era (COLO - 1-9 at WASH, 4-5 at WSU; UTAH - 4-5 at WASH, 7-3 at WSU).

  • STANFORD, also a half-game back, could join the mix as well as it visits rival CALIFORNIA on Friday.

6 x 0.5 - Six teams are currently within a half-game of the lead in the Pac-12 standings, tied with the American as the tightest league race in NCAA Division I.

  • The Pac-12 is 1-of-2 conferences nationally in which every member has at least two league losses (Horizon).

  • It marks the fourth time in the Pac-12 era that every team posted at least two losses inside the opening four weeks of Conference play (2011-12, 2015-16, 2019-20, 2023-24). In each of the three prior instances, the league title was decided by a single game and during the final week of the regular season. 

6 x 13.0 - Entering this week, there are 23 freshmen in NCAA Division I averaging at least 13.0 points per College Basketball Reference - a national-best six of them compete in the Pac-12, double the next closest league (SEC 3).

  • Myles Rice, WSU - 15.8 ppg; Kanaan Carlyle, STAN - 15.7 ppg; Isaiah Collier, USC - 15.4 ppg; Cody Williams, COLO - 15.1 ppg; Sebastian Mack, UCLA - 13.9 ppg; Jackson Shelstad, ORE - 13.6 ppg.

11.3 - Through 46 league games as of Jan. 21, the average scoring margin is 11.3 points. Road teams are 13-33 (.283), the fifth-most difficult league to win on the road so far this season (CUSA 1st, WAC 2nd, Big Ten 3rd, Big 12 4th).

  • 27 games have been decided by single digits

  • 8 games have been decided by one possession (3 pts. or less)

  • 2 overtime games (2 OT periods)

  • 2 games decided on team’s final possession (ORE at WASH; WASH at CAL)

35.43% - The Pac-12’s league-wide three-point field goal percentage of 35.43 percent ranks second-best nationally and best among power conferences (Atlantic 10 - 35.49%) - it would mark the Pac-12’s best 3FG% since 2017-18 (35.98%).

  • Per KenPom.com, the Pac-12 also ranks second in Conference-only three-point percentage at 37% (Atlantic Sun - 37.4%).

OFF THE BENCH

FRANKIE THE FILCHER: ARIZONA STATE guard Frankie Collins currently leads the Pac-12 and ranks third in NCAA Division I with 3.11 steals per game.

  • At his current rate, Collins is on pace to register at least 99 steals. Only three Pac-12 players have ever registered 100-or-more in a single season, each of whom earned a national player of the year honor - Gary Payton, Jason Kidd and Matisse Thybulle.

BASKETBALL JONES: With a career-high eight 3-pointers in last week’s win over Washington, STANFORD’s Spencer Jones cracked the Pac-12’s all-time top 10 in career threes.

  • At his current rate, Jones is on pace to break the Cardinal program record and climb into the top 5 in league history.

Pac-12 Career Threes
1. Tajuan Porter, ORE - 345
2. Salim Stoudamire, ARIZ - 342
3. Bryce Alford, UCLA - 329
4. Stevin Smith, ASU - 323
5. Jason Gardner, ARIZ - 318
6. Jason Kapono, UCLA - 317
7. Chasson Randle, STAN - 304
8. C.J. Wilcox, WASH - 301
9. Spencer Jones, STAN - 289 

PAC-12 AWARDS CANDIDATES

JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR 
MIDSEASON TOP 25 WATCH LIST
Caleb Love, Arizona
KJ Simpson, Colorado

PRESEASON WATCH LIST 
Oumar Ballo, Arizona 
Tristan da Silva, Colorado 
N’Faly Dante, Oregon 
Adem Bona, UCLA 
Isaiah Collier, USC 
Boogie Ellis, USC

NAISMITH NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR 
WATCH LIST 
Oumar Ballo, Arizona 
Caleb Love, Arizona 
Tristan da Silva, Colorado 
Adem Bona, UCLA 
Isaiah Collier, USC 
Boogie Ellis, USC

NAISMITH MEMORIAL HALL OF FAME AWARDS  
Watch Lists

Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year  
Isaiah Collier, USC

Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year  
Caleb Love, Arizona  
Boogie Ellis, USC

Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year  
Jaylon Tyson, California

Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year  
Keshad Johnson, Arizona  
Tristan da Silva, Colorado  
Adem Bona, UCLA

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year  
Oumar Ballo, Arizona  
N’Faly Dante, Oregon  
Aday Mara, UCLA  
Branden Carlson, Utah

PAC-12 MEDIA PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE  
First Team  
Oumar Ballo, R-Sr., C, Arizona  
Adem Bona, So., F/C, UCLA  
Keion Brooks Jr., Gr., F, Washington  
Branden Carlson, Gr., C, Utah  
Isaiah Collier, Fr., G, USC  
N’Faly Dante, Sr., C, Oregon  
Tristan da Silva, Sr., F, Colorado  
Boogie Ellis, 5th, G, USC  
Spencer Jones, 5th, F, Stanford  
KJ Simpson, Jr., G, Colorado

Second Team  
Fardaws Aimaq, 6th, F, California  
Kylan Boswell, So., G, Arizona  
Kobe Johnson, Jr., G, USC  
Caleb Love, Sr., G, Arizona  
Jordan Pope, So., G, Oregon State

Honorable Mention  
Kwame Evans Jr. (Fr., ORE), Pelle Larsson (Sr., ARIZ), Aday Mara (Fr., UCLA), Cody Williams (Fr., COLO).

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