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Pac-12 men's hoops ends non-conference, opens league play with flourish

Dec 26, 2017

COMPLETE RELEASE

Pac-12 men's basketball's fourth MTE tournament title (USC) and fourth top-10 victory (UCLA) capped non-conference play, while the opening week of Conference play will feature a top-20 duel in the desert.

#PAC12HOOPS STARTING FIVE

#3 & #17 - Associated Press national rankings for ARIZONA STATE, which has equaled its highest ranking in program history (1981, 1963), and ARIZONA. It matches the best combined AP ranking for the two Arizona programs since December 1994 (ARIZ #7, ASU #13). Saturday’s league-opening Territorial Cup clash will mark one of the biggest men’s basketball matchups in Pac-12 Network history:
>> First rivalry game between two ranked teams on Pac-12 Network
>> Second-best combined ranked matchup on Pac-12 Network (1/17/15 - #8 UTAH at #10 ARIZONA)
>> Second-highest ranked team on Pac-12 Network (2/1/14 - #1 ARIZONA at CALIFORNIA)

4 - Pac-12 teams combined to win a quartet of multi-team event (MTE) tournament titles in non-conference play, the most ever for the Conference:
>> ARIZONA STATE - Las Vegas Invitational (MVP: ASU’s Tra Holder)
>> COLORADO - Paradise Jam (MVP: COLO’s McKinley Wright IV)
>> WASHINGTON STATE - Wooden Legacy (MVP: WSU’s Malachi Flynn)
>> USC - Diamond Head Classic (MVP: USC’s Bennie Boatwright)

6 - Pac-12 programs combined for six victories over AP Top 25 teams in non-conference play, including four over top-10 opponents all in the month of December (UCLA vs. #7 Kentucky, ARIZONA STATE at #2 Kansas, WASHINGTON vs. #2 Kansas, ARIZONA vs. #7 Texas A&M).
>> Per STATS, Inc., the four top-10 victories over non-league opponents are tied for the most in the league in the past 21 seasons, and are the second-most in the nation this season behind the ACC’s six.

12-0 - ARIZONA STATE is one of three unbeaten teams remaining in NCAA Division I (TCU, Villanova) and is off to its best start in program history.
>> Since the formation of the Pac-12, ASU is the seventh team to start at least 12-0. All six Pac-12 teams to reach that mark went on to play in the NCAA Tournament.

19 - ARIZONA STATE (12) and ARIZONA (seven) have combined for 19 consecutive victories.
>> Only the state of Texas - with 23 NCAA Division I programs, compared to four in Arizona - has teams with a longer combined win streak (TCU 17, Texas Tech 5, Baylor 5, Texas A&M 4, Texas 3).

PAC-12 TIPOFF

RARE OCCASION: Saturday’s meeting between #3 ARIZONA STATE and #17 ARIZONA will mark just the fifth season in Conference history with a December matchup between ranked teams, and the first time since 1951-52 and 1952-53 that it will happen in consecutive seasons.
2016-17: #21 ORE at #2 UCLA; #22 USC at #21 ORE
2006-07: #14 WASH at #1 UCLA
1952-53: #4 WASH at #7 UCLA (2x); #18 CAL at #9 WASH (2x)
1951-52: #13 UCLA at #3 WASH (2x)

TRENDING NATIONWIDE: Four Pac-12 players ranked among the nation’s top 5 in several categories:
Deandre Ayton, ARIZ (5th, 11.4 rpg; T-3rd, 9 dbl-dbls)
Jordan McLaughlin, USC (5th, 7.8 apg)
Matisse Thybulle, WASH (4th, 3.31 spg)
Romello White, ASU (4th, 69.9% FG)
Additionally, WASHINGTON STATE ranks fourth nationally with 11.9 three pointers made per game.

NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS: Below is a list of national honors secured by Pac-12 players and teams during the 2017-18 season.
Dick Vitale Player of the Week (POW) - Allonzo Trier, Arizona (Nov. 13)
NBCSports.com POW - Allonzo Trier, Arizona (Nov. 13)
Dick Vitale Freshman of the Week (FOW) - Jaylen Nowell, Washington (Nov. 13)
NBCSports.com Team of the Week (TOW) - Washington State (Nov. 27)
Dick Vitale FOW - Deandre Ayton, Arizona (Dec. 4)
NCAA.com TOW - Arizona State (Dec. 11)
NBCSports.com TOW - Arizona State (Dec. 11)
Dick Vitale TOW - Arizona State (Dec. 11)
Dick Vitale FOW - Deandre Ayton, Arizona (Dec. 11)
Dick Vitale Coach of the Week (COW) - Bobby Hurley, Arizona State (Dec. 11)
NABC Team of Week (TOW) - Arizona State (Dec. 12)
USBWA POW - Shannon Evans II, Arizona State (Dec. 12)
USBWA FOW - Deandre Ayton, Arizona (Dec. 12)
NBCSports.com TOW - UCLA (Dec. 25)

 


KEY NON-CONFERENCE WINS

POWER 6 OPPONENTS (15-18)
UCLA 63, Georgia Tech 60 (Shanghai, China)
at Utah 77, Missouri 59
USC 93, at Vanderbilt 89 (OT)
Utah 83, Ole Miss 74 (Las Vegas, Nev.)
UCLA 72, Wisconsin 70 (Kansas City, Mo.)
Arizona State 92, Kansas State 90 (Las Vegas)
Arizona State 102, #15 Xavier 86 (Las Vegas)
Oregon 89, DePaul 79 (OT) (Portland)
Arizona 67, #7 Texas A&M 64 (Phoenix)
Washington 74, #2 Kansas 65 (Kansas City, Mo.)
#16 Arizona State 82, St. John’s 70 (Los Angeles)
at Arizona 88, Alabama 82
#16 Arizona State 95, at Kansas 85
at #5 Arizona State 76, Vanderbilt 64
UCLA 83, #7 Kentucky 75 (New Orleans)

PRESEASON CONFERENCE FAVORITES (11-4)
at Washington 86, Belmont 82
at Washington State 86, Texas Southern 84 (OT)
at Arizona State 99, UC Irvine 78
Colorado 79, Mercer 70 (Lynchburg, Va.)
Washington State 84, Saint Mary’s (Calif.) 79 (Fullerton, Calif.)
at UCLA 87, UC Irvine 63
Washington 74, #2 Kansas 65 (Kansas City, Mo.)
#16 Arizona State 95, at Kansas 85
at Oregon 74, Texas Southern 68
at Colorado 112, South Dakota State 103 (2OT)
UCLA 83, #7 Kentucky 75 (New Orleans)

2017 NCAA/NIT TOURNAMENT TEAMS (27-24)
at Arizona 91, CS Bakersfield 59
at Arizona State 99, UC Irvine 78
UCLA 63, Georgia Tech 60 (Shanghai, China)
USC 93, at Vanderbilt 89 (OT)
at Washington 86, Belmont 82
at Washington State 86, Texas Southern 84 (OT)
Utah 83, Ole Miss 74 (Las Vegas, Nev.)
UCLA 72, Wisconsin 70 (Kansas City, Mo.)
Arizona State 92, Kansas State 90 (Las Vegas)
Arizona State 102, #15 Xavier 86 (Las Vegas)
Washington State 84, Saint Mary’s (Calif.) 79 (Fullerton, Calif.)
at UCLA 87, UC Irvine 63
at Washington 77, UC Davis 70
at UCLA 75, CS Bakersfield 66
Washington 74, #2 Kansas 65 (Kansas City, Mo.)
at Oregon 95, Colorado State 65
at Arizona 88, Alabama 82
#16 Arizona State 95, at Kansas 85
at Oregon 74, Texas Southern 68
at Oregon State 70, Jacksonville State 69
at Colorado 112, South Dakota State 103 (2OT)
Oregon 68, at Fresno State 61
at #5 Arizona State 76, Vanderbilt 64
USC 84, Akron 53 (Honolulu, Hawaii)
UCLA 83, #7 Kentucky 75 (New Orleans)
USC 89, Middle Tennessee 84 (Honolulu, Hawaii)
USC 77, New Mexico State 72 (Honolulu, Hawaii)

 


UPCOMING SCHEDULE (All Times Pacific - Expanded Schedule Details)

Friday, Dec. 29    
Utah at Oregon  FS1 7 p.m.
Washington at USC P12N 7:30 p.m.
Colorado at Oregon State ESPNU 8 p.m.
Washington State at UCLA  ESPN2 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 30    
#3 Arizona State at #17 Arizona  P12N 6 p.m.
California at Stanford  FS1 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 31    
Utah at Oregon State  P12N 3 p.m.
Washington at UCLA  P12N 5 p.m.
Washington State at USC ESPN2 6 p.m.
Colorado at Oregon  P12N 7 p.m.
 

CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded Standings)

Teams Pac-12 Record Overall Record
Arizona State 0-0 12-0
Arizona  0-0 10-3
Oregon  0-0 10-3
Washington  0-0 10-3
UCLA 0-0 9-3
Utah 0-0 8-3
USC 0-0 9-4
Colorado 0-0 8-4
Oregon State 0-0 8-4
Washington State 0-0 8-4
California  0-0 6-7
Stanford 0-0 6-7