Record five Pac-12 Men's Basketball teams in final USA TODAY Sports/NABC Coaches Poll
Final 2020-21 USA TODAY Sports/NABC Coaches Poll
SAN FRANCISCO - Powered by standout performances in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, a record five Pac-12 Men's Basketball teams concluded the 2020-21 season in the USA TODAY Sports/NABC Coaches Poll announced Tuesday.
The five ranked teams are the most ever for the Conference in an NCAA-recognized final national poll (AP 1949-present, pre-NCAA Tournament poll; USA Today Coaches 1994-present, post-NCAA Tournament poll).
Each of the five ranked Pac-12 programs won games in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, with four winning multiple games en route to a league-record tying and national-best 13 combined victories and the best overall mark of any league in the event (13-5, .722).
Final Four participant UCLA (22-10) closed at No. 7 in the final Coaches poll for its best finish since its 2008 Final Four appearance and No. 4 ranking.
No. 9 USC (25-8), which advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2001, appeared in the top 10 of the final Coaches poll for the first time in program history and marked its highest end-of-season ranking since 1992 (AP No. 8).
No. 17 OREGON (21-7), the Pac-12 regular-season champion, made its third consecutive appearance in the final Coaches poll as well as its seventh in the past nine seasons. The Ducks advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in as many NCAA Tournament trips and fifth time under head coach Dana Altman.
Like USC, No. 20 OREGON STATE (20-13) and No. 23 COLORADO (23-9) also enjoyed their first-ever final Coaches poll rankings. The Beavers, who won their first-ever Pac-12 Tournament title and advanced to their first Elite Eight since 1982, earned their first end-of-season national ranking since 1990 (AP No. 22), while the Buffaloes garnered their first final ranking since 1997 (AP No. 24).
Across the full 2020-21 season, the Pac-12 led all leagues with five 20-win teams and finished third in the final KenPom.com Conference Rankings, its highest performance since leading all leagues in both 2008 and 2009.