Player of the Week
Oumar Ballo (Arizona)
Arizona’s hot start has cooled down a bit with two losses coming in their last three games but Ballo continues to be a contributing factor for the Wildcats. In a 87 to 74 win against Alabama, he led the team in scoring with 16 points and rebounding with 12 boards. He also added a block and limited his turnover number to one. Even though Arizona followed this up with a one point loss to Florida Atlantic, Ballo showed his rebounding dominance. He had 21 rebounds which included 9 on the offensive glass. He added 13 points and 3 steals to cap off a dominant performance.
Who’s Hot
Jordan Pope (Oregon State)
Oregon State is 8-3 to start the year after many pegged them as one of the worst teams in the conference. They had a 2-0 week which included some great games from Pope. In a one point victory over UTSA, he scored 19 points on 7/14 shooting from the field. He added 4 assists and 2 rebounds in a winning effort. The Beavers then beat Idaho State by double figures and Pope had 25 points on 9/14 shooting from the field. This included 8 assists and an efficient outing from three, going 5/8 from deep. The sophomore guard is having a great year.
Keion Brooks Jr. (Washington)
Washington is on a four game win streak and Brooks has been lights out through the first 11 games. In a 100-99 win against Seattle University, he had 22 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Huskies in both stats. He spaced the floor very well in this game, going 3/4 from beyond the three point line. This win was followed up by another stellar performance from the Huskies, beating Eastern Washington by seven. Brooks once again led in scoring with 20 points and shot 8/9 from the free throw line. He has been one of the most impressive and efficient players in the Pac-12 this year.
Who’s Not
UCLA Bruins
The Bruins have dropped four straight games and are sitting at the bottom of the Pac-12. This week, they suffered losses to Cal State Northridge and Maryland. Against Cal State, UCLA shot an underwhelming 37% from the field and 67.5% from the free throw line. They also turned the ball over 19 times during the contest. This loss was followed by another loss, this time by nine points to the Terrapins. The Bruins shot 7.1% from three and 31.5% from the field.
Top 5 Teams in the Pac-12
5. Oregon Ducks (8-3)
The Ducks have struggled a bit against good teams which bumps them down a bit but they still land in the top five. A big reason that they’re still projected to finish solid in the conference is because N'Faly Dante and Mookie Cook should be coming back within the next few weeks, two huge contributors for this squad.
4. USC Trojans (6-5)
USC isn’t a top five team in the conference standings wise right now but they should be able to bounce back and end up as one of them. They currently stand at 6-5 but with players like Isaiah Collier and Bronny James still adjusting to college ball, I expect them to be solid contributors in the coming weeks and help USC out of this slump.
3. Utah Utes (9-2)
Utah has a lot of talented players that also have experience. With Rollie Worster and Branden Carlson both being seniors along with a solid supporting cast, this team is bound to finish as one of the best in the conference.
2. Colorado Buffaloes (9-2)
Impressive is the only word to describe the Buffaloes season so far. Cody Williams has emerged as one of the best freshmen in the country and the KJ Simpson / Tristan da Silva duo has been lights out. Colorado’s football team gets more attention but their basketball squad may be the breadwinner when it comes to playing success.
1. Arizona Wildcats (9-2)
While the Wildcats have finally shown an achilles heel, their only two losses have come to top 15 ranked opponents. They’re still a top 5 team in the country and could finish as the best in the entire NCAA. Players such as Oumar Ballo, Caleb Love, Pelle Larson, and Kylan Boswell are some of the best in the country and they play very well together.