Player of the Week
Oumar Ballo) (Arizona)
Another Arizona big man showed out this week and did enough to earn player of the week honors for the Pac-12. [Player: Oumar Ballo was phenomenal for the Wildcats, helping them win the Jim Maui Invitational Tournament and keep a perfect record of 6-0. Against the Cincinnati Bearcats, Ballo had his second double-double of the season, scoring 21 points to go along with 10 boards in an eight-point win for Arizona. In the championship game of the invitational, he led the team in both scoring and rebounding. He scored 30 points and hauled in 13 rebounds in an 81-79 win against Creighton. Ballo is second in points per game in the Pac-12 and leads the conference in rebounds per game. The duo of him and Azuolas Tubelis is proving to be a dangerous one.
Who’s Hot
Boogie Ellis (USC)
Though USC has looked a bit rough to start the season, Boogie Ellis has been a bright spot. The senior guard has averaged 21 points over the stretch of games this week and overall has scored 18 points per game, good enough for fourth in the Pac-12. This week’s best game came against BYU, where he scored 27 points and led the Trojans to a six-point victory. Perhaps the most impressive leap he has made this year so far has been his efficiency, where he’s shooting 48% from the field and 45% from beyond the three-point line, both significant jumps from last year. USC will look to get back on track with an easier slate of games ahead.
Arizona State Sun Devils
After a somewhat disappointing year for the Sun Devils in the 2021-2022 season, they have started off this year hot with a surprising 5-1 start. Led by junior guard DJ Horne and senior big man Warren Washington, this team has looked great to start the year. Their defense has not allowed an opponent to score over 68 points in a game and the Sun Devils have scored 80 points on three separate occasions this year. Their best win thus far has come against the Michigan Wolverines, beating them by a convincing 25 points. It’ll be interesting to see if they can keep this kind of production up as the season progresses.
Who’s Not
USC Trojans
After a year that only consisted of eight losses in 2021-2022, the Trojans have come out and looked a bit shaky to start off the 2022-2023 season. Through their first seven games, they are a mere 4-3 and have lost multiple winnable games. They started off the season with a loss to FGCU by 13 points, one they certainly wish they could have back. They also lost to both Tennessee and Wisconsin by a combined 11 points, games in which they could have won but couldn’t execute down the stretch. The Trojans will have to respond quickly if they want their chances of making the NCAA tournament to expand.
California Golden Bears
Once again, the Golden Bears end up on this portion of the blog and for good reason. They still have not won a game and continue to disappoint. This week, they lost to both Texas State and TCU by a combined 15 points. Though their defense hasn’t been terrible (held both teams to under 60 this week), they can’t seem to get anything going offensively. Expect to see them a lot in the loss category as the season goes on.
Top 5 Best Three-Point Shooting Teams in the Pac-12
1. Arizona Wildcats
The best team in the Pac-12 also happens to be the best when it comes to behind the arch shooting. Through six games, the Wildcats have made just under 50% of their threes, attempting 111 and making 50 of the attempts (45%). This stat is impressive considering a lot of Arizona’s talent comes underneath, showing that the guards are dependable when it comes to shot making.
2. Washington State Cougars
The Cougars remain above .500 through five games this season and a lot of that can be attributed to their three-point shooting. So far, Washington State has attempted 126 threes and made 56 of them, putting them at right around 44%. This is a great percent to be at and is 3% higher than the next team in the Pac-12.
3. UCLA Bruins
UCLA is the last team above 40% from three in the Pac-12 and prove to be one of the better shooting teams in the Pac-12 consistently. This year, they have shot 117 threes and made 49 of them (42%). This number should stay consistent as the year progresses.
4. Arizona State Sun Devils
One of the more surprising teams this year is also surprising from beyond the three-point line. They currently rank fourth in the Pac-12 for three-point percentage and have shot a solid 34% from deep. Out of the 126 three-point shots they’ve taken this year, 43 have made its way through the net.
5. Colorado Buffaloes
The Buffaloes have taken the most threes on the year in the Pac-12 at a whopping 137 attempts. Though only 43 have gone in, marking them at 33%, they’re shooting confidently and should improve as the season goes on. KJ Simpson has led this team so far, shooting 34% from beyond the arch.