Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Weekly Rundown – March 5, 2024

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Mike Christy/Dean Hare

STATS & STANDINGSSCHEDULE/WATCHRANKINGS
Weekly Rundown (PDF)Pac-12 MBB ScheduleAssociated Press Poll
Conference StatsConference TV & tip timesUSA Today Coaches Poll
Conference Stats (PDF)Pac-12 Network LiveNCAA Evaluation Tool (NET)
NCAA StatsGet Pac-12 NetworkKenPom.com
Pac-12 Standings & TiebreakersGet Pac-12 Now AppESPN BPI-SOR
Pac-12 MBB Record BookPac-12 Tournament CentralKPI

#PAC12MBB STARTING FIVE

#1 – The final week of league play will determine the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball regular-season champion and No. 1 seed for the Pac-12 Tournament as No. 5 ARIZONA (14-4) enters the week with a half-game lead and a game-in-hand on No. 18 WASHINGTON STATE (14-5). 

  • The Wildcats can win the title outright and the #1 seed with two wins this week OR one win coupled with a WSU loss.
  • The Cougars meanwhile can claim the title outright and the #1 seed with a win AND a pair of Arizona losses, or secure a share of the crown as well as the #1 seed with a win AND an Arizona loss.
  • It would mark Arizona’s 18th all-time Pac-12 title, while it would be WSU’s third and first since 1941.

#3-#4 – Half of the first-round byes for the Pac-12 Tournament have been claimed by ARIZONA and WASHINGTON STATE, which will be either the No. 1 or No. 2 seeds.

  • Two tourney byes – the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds – remain up-for-grabs during the final week of league play between four teams – COLORADO, OREGON, UCLA and UTAH. 

0-of-12 – None of the dozen Pac-12 Tournament seeds have been locked entering the week; 1024 result scenarios remain ahead of this week’s 10 games, decreasing to 16 following Thursday’s six contests. 

  • Seed ranges for each team: ARIZ #1-2; ASU #5-11; CAL #5-9; COLO #3-6; ORE #3-6; OSU #11-12; STAN #9-11; UCLA #4-9; USC #8-12; UTAH #4-7; WASH #5-11; WSU #1-2.

+8 – 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. 

  • Since Pac-12 preseason polls began in 1984-85, WSU currently holds the largest margin between predicted and actual finish – +8 (10th/2nd, 2006-07)

11.7 – Through 110 league games as of March 3, the average scoring margin is 11.7 points.

  • 59 games have been decided by single digits
  • 19 games have been decided by one possession (3 pts. or less)
  • 7 overtime games (10 OT periods)
  • 7 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; WASH at ASU)

OFF THE BENCH

20 WINS DURING PAC-12 ERA: With a trio of teams reaching the 20-win plateau so far this season, below are school totals of 20-win seasons during the 13-year Pac-12 era (2011-12):

  • Oregon – 12
    Arizona – 11
    Colorado – 9
    UCLA – 8
    USC – 7
    Arizona State – 6
    California – 5
    Utah – 5
    Stanford – 4
    Washington – 3
    Oregon State – 2
    Washington State – 2

THE BIG MAPLE: CALIFORNIA’s Fardaws Aimaq currently leads the Pac-12 and is fifth in NCAA Division I with 19 double-doubles this season.

  • Aimaq’s 19 are the fifth-most of any Conference player in the Pac-12 era:
    Deandre Ayton, ARIZ – 24 (2017-18)
    Andre Roberson, COLO – 20 (2011-12)
    Josh Hawkinson, WSU – 20 (2015-16)
    Josh Hawkinson, WSU – 20 (2014-15)
    FARDAWS AIMAQ, CAL – 19 (2023-24)

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 MEN’S COLLEGE COACH OF THE YEAR
TOP 15 WATCH LIST
Kyle Smith, Washington State

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

USBWA OSCAR ROBERTSON NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
TOP 40 WATCH LIST
Caleb Love, Arizona
KJ Simpson, Colorado
Keion 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 5 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 –