Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona)
Tubelis has been staying consistent as after a 2-0 week, the Arizona Wildcats improve to 10-1 on the season. In a game against the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders, Tubelis scored 20 points to go along with 13 rebounds and 4 assists. No player on the opposing squad had double-digit rebounds, as both Tubelis and Oumar Ballo manned the paint for the Wildcats. This win was followed by a nail-bitter against the #6 ranked Tennessee Volunteers, where Arizona won by a score of 75-70. Tubelis just missed another double-double, scoring 19 points to go along with 9 rebounds. He continues to lead the Pac-12 in points per game and ranks second in rebounding per game amongst the conference.
Who’s Hot
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA)
The leader of the Bruins had himself a week as UCLA moves to 10-2 on the season. In a game against the #20 ranked Maryland Terrapins, Jaquez Jr. had 14 points and 7 rebounds in an impressive 87-60 win. He did this once again in a game against the #13 ranked Kentucky Wildcats. He scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while dishing out 4 assists. The Bruins won by double-digits, scoring 63 to Kentucky’s 53. Jaquez Jr. continues to lead one of the top teams in the nation.
UCLA Bruins
The Bruins get all the love this week as not only did they move to 10-2 on the year, but they also beat two ranked opponents in dominant fashion. In a win against the Maryland Terrapins, four Bruins scored in double figures while Maryland only had two. They shot an impressive 55.6% from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arch. In a 63-53 win against the Kentucky Wildcats, though the Bruins didn’t play great, they still managed to win by double-digits. This shows that even when it comes to games where they aren’t hitting a ton of shots, UCLA can pull it out.
Best Scorers in the Pac-12
1. Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona)
Tubelis currently leads the Pac-12 in scoring per game with 20.1 points coming from his 28 minutes a game. Not only is he scoring a lot of points, but he’s also doing it efficiently. He currently shoots 60.8% from the field, which is good for someone who takes just about 13.5 shots a game.
2. KJ Simpson (Colorado)
The sophomore guard KJ Simpson is averaging just under 17 points per game which is good enough for fourth in the Pac-12. He’s been efficient from three on the year, making around two per game while shooting five, and somewhat efficient from the field, making six of his thirteen shots per game.
3. Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA)
Though he hasn’t been great shooting from three this year, Jaime Jaquez Jr. continues to be one of the better scorers across the Pac-12. He currently averages 17.3 points per game on 55% shooting from the field. The veteran on the Bruins is one of the smartest and willing scorers in the conference.
4. Jaylen Clark (UCLA)
The junior guard Jaylen Clark can score in a plethora of ways at the guard position but still remains one of the most efficient in the conference. He currently averages 15.5 points per game on 61.5% shooting from the field and 38.5% from behind the three-point line. These are amazing numbers for a college guard and he shows no signs of slowing down.
5. Oumar Ballo (Arizona)
Though he tends to stay inside when scoring, the numbers don’t lie when it comes to Oumar Ballo. He is second in points per game amongst the conference at 18.1 and shoots 73.3% from the field. Though he doesn’t have an array of moves, Ballo manages to get the ball in the basket at an extremely efficient rate. The duo of him and Azuolas Tubelis down underneath makes it hard for any team to beat the WIldcats.