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Pac-12 Men's Basketball Weekly Rundown - February 20, 2024

by Pac-12 Conference
Feb 20, 2024

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

#PAC12MBB STARTING FIVE

#1 - Pac-12 leader ARIZONA was awarded a No. 1 seed (No. 4 overall) in the NCAA’s Bracket Preview on Feb. 17.

  • Should the Wildcats maintain their No. 1 seed status through to Selection Sunday, it would mark the 18th No. 1 seed for Pac-12 programs dating to the start of seeding in 1979. Of the league’s 17 prior No. 1 seeds, Arizona has earned seven of them including the most recent in 2022 (UCLA 4, Stanford 3, Oregon 1, Oregon State 1, Washington 1).

#4 vs. #21 - Two of the nation’s hottest teams will meet in a ranked showdown for first place in the Pac-12 this week as No. 21 WASHINGTON STATE visits No. 4 ARIZONA on Thursday (8 p.m. PT, FS1). 

  • It marks the first meeting of AP Top 25 ranked Pac-12 teams this season, and 213th in the history of the Conference dating to the inception of the AP poll in 1948-49.

  • It will be only the second series meeting with both teams ranked, the other coming on Feb. 1, 2007 when the 18th-ranked Cougars knocked off the 20th-ranked Wildcats, 72-66, in McKale Center.

  • Winners of its last seven, WSU owns the nation’s sixth-longest win streak, while Arizona’s six-game streak is eighth longest. Among Power leagues, those streaks are second- and third-longest, respectively (UConn 14). 

<5.0s - Underscoring the difficultly of winning on the road in the Pac-12 this season (32-57, .360), last week’s four road wins (4-7) all came in dramatic fashion:

  • CAL 82, at WASH 80 - Jalen Celestine game-winning three with 4.0 seconds left.

  • COLO 92, at USC 89 (2OT) - Luke O’Brien game-tying dunk with 3.7 seconds left in regulation to force OT.

  • ORE 60, at OSU 58 - N’Faly Dante game-winning dunk with 1.0 second left.

  • UTAH 70, at UCLA 69 - Branden Carlson game-winning putback with 0.2 seconds left.

#21 - At No. 21 this week, WASHINGTON STATE makes its first appearance in the AP Top 25 since the final poll of the 2007-08 season in which it finished at No. 21.

  • The Cougars are now the 10th league team to appear in the AP Top 25 during the Pac-12 era (since 2011-12) - only Oregon State and Stanford have not.

11-5 - Through 89 league games as of Feb. 18, the average scoring margin is 11.5 points.

  • 51 games have been decided by single digits

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

  • 6 overtime games (9 OT periods)

  • 6 games decided on team’s final possession (ORE at WASH; WASH at CAL; OSU vs. ARIZ; CAL at WASH; ORE at OSU; UTAH at UCLA)

OFF THE BENCH

WHEATFIELD UNDERDOGS: Picked 10th in the Pac-12 preseason media poll and currently second in the league standings, WASHINGTON STATE is seeking to match or break its own mark of outperforming predictions.  

  • Since Pac-12 preseason polls began in 1984-85, WSU currently holds the largest margin between predicted and actual finish:
    WSU - +8 (10th/2nd, 2006-07)
    ASU - +7 (10th/T-3rd, 1992-93)
    ARIZ - +7 (8th/1st, 1985-86)
    OSU - +6 (12th/T-6th, 2020-21)
    UCLA - +6 (8th/2nd, 2019-20)
    OSU - +6 (10th/T-4th, 2018-19)
    WASH - +6 (8th/2nd, 2003-04)

BOARDING CATS: ARIZONA currently ranks third nationally in rebound margin at +11.3, trailing only Saint Mary’s (+12.0) and Purdue (+11.6).

  • On their current pace, the Wildcats are poised to post the Conference’s best rebound margin since 1972-73 (UCLA +13.6) and first above +10.0 since 1973-74 (UCLA +10.9). 

PAC-12 AWARDS CANDIDATES

JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR 
LATE SEASON TOP 20 WATCH LIST
Caleb Love, Arizona
KJ Simpson, Colorado

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
MIDSEASON TOP 30
Caleb Love, Arizona
KJ Simpson, Colorado

WATCH LIST
Oumar Ballo, Arizona 
Caleb Love, Arizona 
Tristan da Silva, Colorado 
Adem Bona, UCLA 
Isaiah Collier, USC 
Boogie Ellis, USC

NAISMITH DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
WATCH LIST
Adem Bona, UCLA

NAISMITH MEMORIAL HALL OF FAME AWARDS  
Watch Lists/Top 10 Finalists

Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year  
Isaiah Collier, USC

Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year  
Caleb Love, Arizona (Top 10 Finalist)
Boogie Ellis, USC (Top 10 Finalist)

Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year  
Jaylon Tyson, California (Top 10 Finalist)
Keion Brooks Jr., Washington (Added as Top 10 Finalist)

Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year  
Keshad Johnson, Arizona  (Top 10 Finalist)
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 (Top 10 Finalist)

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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