Player of the Week

Terrell Brown Jr., Washington

Brown Jr. has not only established himself as one of the best scorers in the Pac-12 but in all of college basketball. This week was a very successful one for the Huskies, winning two inner conference match ups and bettering their record to 11-8 on the year. A win against Colorado on Thursday saw Brown Jr. explode for 26 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. He was one of only two players to score in double digits for Washington and was the deciding factor in this victory. Another win against Utah on Saturday saw him once again take the scoring reins for the Huskies, scoring a game high 30 points along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. This senior guard has put the program on his back.

Who’s Hot

Jabari Walker, Colorado

This sophomore has continually established himself as one of the best big men in the Pac-12 and this week solidified it. In a 4-point victory over the Oregon Ducks, Walker shined. He scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 32 minutes of play. Though the Buffaloes played well as a team, Walker was clearly the driving force behind their victory. Following this win, they lost a close game to Washington behind Terrell Brown Jr.’s monster game. Though they lost, Walker still scored 14 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in this heartbreaking game for the Buffaloes. With these performances, Walker now leads all of the Pac-12 in rebounds per game (8.6). He has come into his own as the season has gone on.

Isaiah Mobley, USC

Mobley didn’t have the most glamorous week when it comes to his usual numbers, but he showcased some things that were surprising to see. In a blowout win against Arizona State on Monday, Mobley scored 12 points and grabbed 7 rebounds all while playing the most minutes of any Trojan on the team (29). Following this win, USC suffered a loss that they should’ve easily won. They lost to Stanford by three points in a game that seemed like an easy win for the Trojans. One of the only real bright spots for USC was Mobley, who only had 9 points but grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out an insane 9 assists. This near triple double was out of the blue for a player like him and certainly added an aspect to his game no one really knew he had. The Trojans followed this up with a seven-point victory against the California Golden Bears, where Mobley had 24 points and 6 rebounds in 34 minutes of play. USC sits at 19-3 on the year and looks like one of the better teams in college basketball.

Who’s Not

Oregon State Beavers

The Beavers only played one game this week (a blowout loss to Oregon, 78-56), but this disaster of a year has to be recognized when talking about the Pac-12. Oregon State currently sits at 3-15, easily the worst record in the Pac-12 and one of the most disappointing teams in the entirety of college basketball. It just seems like every game they go into; they’re bound to lose by double digits. A terrible look for a team who had a successful season last year.

Utah Utes

Every single week the Utes get featured and, though repetitive, it is impossible not to have them here. Another winless week for Utah extends they’re streak of losses to 10, the most in the Pac-12. They got ran out of the gym by a mediocre Washington State team and lost a close one to the Washington Huskies in this week’s slate of games. They have no real scoring threats and aside from Branden Carlson, there’s really no players worth mentioning.

Top 5 Best Passing Teams in the Pac-12

Arizona Wildcats

This should come as a surprise to no one that the best shooting team in the Pac-12 is also the best passing team. The Wildcats average over 20 assists per game as a team and lead in this statistic by quite a lot. Though the passing does come with turnovers (13.4 turnovers per game), they’re lead in the assists category is by so much that they have to be regarded as the best passing team in the Pac-12. They also have Kerr Kriisa, who averages 5.1 assists per game (good enough for second in the entire conference).

UCLA Bruins

The Bruins average just above 14 assists per game as a team which is good enough for third in the Pac-12. Though a great number, the aspect of the passing game that is most impressive when regarding the Bruins is the turnover side of things, where they average under 10 a game. This is over a turnover less than the next best team and they only have 173 turnovers on the year (to put this into perspective, the next closest team has 214). The Bruins have managed to score off passes efficiently but also not turn the ball over.

USC Trojans

It’s crazy to think that the three best shooting teams are also the best passing teams but that’s the reality in the Pac-12 (not to mention these teams are also the best overall in the conference). The Trojans average just under 15 assists a game, which is second best in the entire Pac-12. They also only average 11.1 turnovers per game, which is an impressive number when you’re passing the ball as much as they are. When it comes to passing, this team is a good one to look at.

Oregon State Beavers

Though it’s been a down year for the Beavers, they’re passing has been quite the bright spot. They average 12.6 assists per game and only 12.8 turnovers per game, not a terrible balance. What really puts them as one of the best passing teams in the conference is Dashawn Davis, who leads the Pac-12 in assists per game at 5.2 The fact that they have solid turnover numbers and the statistically best passer in the conference, Oregon State needs to be here.

Utah Utes

Utah ranks fourth in assists per game in the conference (13.9) and they only turn the ball over 13.2 times per game. This is surprising to see since their record doesn’t reflect their passing ability at all and the team is currently on a 10-game losing streak. Nonetheless, the numbers do have Utah as a top five passing team in the Pac-12.

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