Player of the Week
Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State)
The Washington State Cougars won two games this week just before the Pac-12 conference tournament. Mouhamed Gueye wound up leading both games in rebounding. In a 67-63 win against the Stanford Cardinal, Gueye scored 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds on 6/8 shooting. He also added in a block and a steal. He followed this up with a 20-point, 10 rebound game against the California Golden Bears. He was once again efficient, shooting 5/12 from the field and 9/9 from the free throw line.
Who’s Hot
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA)
The Bruins clinched the Pac-12 conference title this week with two hard fought wins against conference opponents. In a 78-71 win against the Utah Utes, Jaime Jaquez Jr. played amazingly. He scored 23 points while grabbing 8 rebounds in 30 minutes of play. In this game, he shot 10/15 and went 2-2 from three. Jaquez Jr. again, led the Bruins in scoring while UCLA clinched the conference title in a win against the Colorado Buffaloes. In the 60-56 win, he scored 17 points and grabbed 5 rebounds while shooting 7/14 from the field.
N'Faly Dante (Oregon)
As the Ducks won two close games this week, N'Faly Dante was a double-double machine. In a 69-67 win against the Washington State Cougars, Dante scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. This performance also included 4/7 shooting from the field and both a block and steal. He followed this up with a 16-point, 18 rebound game against the Oregon State Beavers. He shot 7/13 from the field and got another steal in this nailbiter. As the season closes, Dante’s draft stock continues to rise steadily.
Who’s Not
Kerr Kriisa (Arizona)
Arizona played one game this week and lost to the Arizona State Sun Devils on a miracle shot from half court. With Oumar Ballo dealing with a lingering sickness and only playing 18 minutes in the game, the Wildcats were looking for someone else to step up and help them get a win. Unfortunately, Kerr Kriisa was not there to save the day. In 34 minutes of play, Kriisa only scored 10 points and dished out 5 assists. Though this is similar to his per game averages, he dropped the ball this week when the team needed him to step up.
Top 5 Point Guards in the Pac-12
Tyger Campbell (UCLA)
UCLA just won another Pac-12 regular season championship, and a lot of the credit can be attributed to Tyger Campbell. The Bruin’s point guard has been with the team for four years now and continues to run their offense in a way that allows winning to come easy. He currently ranks fourth in the Pac-12 for assists per game, averaging 4.7 each contest.
Kerr Kriisa (Arizona)
The current leader of the Pac-12 in assists per game has helped lead Arizona to one of the best offenses in the country. The Wildcats currently average 83.3 points per game, which is good enough for sixth in the entire NCAA. Much of this offense runs through Kerr Kriisa, who has helped Arizona reach their offensive potential.
Boogie Ellis (USC)
If a team needs a bucket, a guy like Boogie Ellis is great to have. He currently averages 17.2 points per contest, putting him third in the entire Pac-12. His scoring ability has helped the Trojans greatly this season, putting them in position to make a run in March. Teams should be scared of Ellis running the offense.
Will Richardson (Oregon)
Experience definitely helps Will Richardson as he continues to have a career year distributing the ball and running the offense. Richardson is averaging a career high in assists at 5.3 per game and adds 12.8 points too. He ranks second in the entire Pac-12 in assists per game and creates much of the offense for a disappointing Ducks squad.
Rollie Worster (Utah)
The Utes have come out and surprised many this year with how good they’ve played. They currently stand at 17-13 overall and 10-9 in conference play. Much of the scoring is helped by Rollie Worster who has created magic whenever he gets the ball. The junior point guard is averaging the third most assists in the Pac-12 with 5.1 per game.