Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos
#PAC12MBB STARTING FIVE
#1 – Pac-12 regular-season title clinching scenarios are in play for the first time as both league-leader ARIZONA and second place WASHINGTON STATE can clinch at least a share of the crown this week.
#1-#4 – First-round byes for the 2024 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament are also in play for three teams this week.
3 – Three Pac-12 standouts were named to the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy National Player of the Year Watch List on Feb. 27:
+7 – CALIFORNIA is enjoying a bounceback campaign under first-year head coach Mark Madsen. At 9-8 in league play, the Golden Bears are currently a +7 in win total from 2022-23 (2-18) with an opportunity to break the Pac-12 era mark with wins in its final three regular-season games.
11.4 – Through 99 league games as of Feb. 24, the average scoring margin is 11.4 points.
OFF THE BENCH
WHEATFIELD UNDERDOGS: Picked 10th in the Pac-12 preseason media poll and currently second in the league standings, Naismith Coach of the Year candidate Kyle Smith has WASHINGTON STATE set to equal or break its own mark of outperforming predictions.
THE BIG MAPLE: CALIFORNIA’s Fardaws Aimaq currently leads the Pac-12 and is fifth in NCAA Division I with 18 double-doubles this season.
PAC-12 AWARDS CANDIDATES
JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEARLATE SEASON TOP 20 WATCH LISTCaleb Love, ArizonaKJ Simpson, Colorado
MIDSEASON TOP 25 WATCH LISTCaleb Love, ArizonaKJ 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 MEN’S COLLEGE COACH OF THE YEARTOP 15 WATCH LISTKyle Smith, Washington State
NAISMITH NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEARMIDSEASON TOP 30Caleb Love, ArizonaKJ Simpson, Colorado
WATCH LISTOumar Ballo, Arizona Caleb Love, Arizona Tristan da Silva, Colorado Adem Bona, UCLA Isaiah Collier, USC Boogie Ellis, USC
NAISMITH DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEARWATCH LISTAdem Bona, UCLA
USBWA OSCAR ROBERTSON NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEARTOP 40 WATCH LISTCaleb Love, ArizonaKJ Simpson, ColoradoKeion Brooks Jr., Washington
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).
– Pac-12.com –