What happened with the Pac-12 last week didn’t make much sense.
Arizona never loses at home, right?
Arizona’s second-year coach, Tommy Lloyd, said the No. 5-ranked Wildcats, who are on a 28-game winning streak at home, beat Washington State University, who went 0-4 on their opponent’s home court. I never lost a game at the McKale Center when I was hosting. , including an 11 point road loss to Prairie View A&M.
What happens then?
Washington won by 13 points. And the way it happened was just as amazing. The Cougars dominated his first three quarters of the game, and he took an 18-point lead with 11:14 remaining.
The Wildcats then continued to run, coming within 5 points with 4:47 remaining. At this point, Arizona’s superior talent, momentum, inexperience with big WSU moments, and the impetus provided by a raucous McKale his center will propel the Wildcats to victory. , just as it did against Washington two days ago.
But the Cougars ended an upset that didn’t make sense at any level by scoring seven straight points.
You would think Washington State must have had a great night of shooting to pull off a 13-point underdog upset. Well, the Cougars only shot him 39.1%. The difference was he next two. 1. Cougars defense. He limited the Wildcats to his season-low 61 points on 31.7% shooting. 2. He had 24 points and 14 rebounds against the Wildcats’ big and talented frontcourt in a Mouhamed Gueye-inspired play.
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Oregon’s loss to Colorado means the ducks are over, right?
The Ducks’ record went to 8-7 as Oregon had the fewest points (41), least assists (3) and least shots (29.6%) in a 13-year Dana Altman era trailing Colorado by 27 points. it fell. This suggests Altman’s 24-game winning streak was in serious jeopardy. And Colorado had a blast, with his best player, KJ Simpson, not missing a game through injury.
Oregon’s standout point guard, Will Richard, went 1-for-9 from the field with one assist and four turnovers, while Oregon’s No. 2 scorer, N’Faly Dante, finished with two points. The Ducks’ next game would prove to be even worse, as it will be against No. 1 Utah in Salt Lake City, where the Utes are particularly tough.
What happens then?
Oregon gave the Utes their first Pac-12 loss by leading from start to finish with a 10-point win while shooting 40.4% against one of the best defensive teams in the country . Richardson has 11 points and 4 assists, while Dante has 17 points on 6-7 shooting and amassed 12 rebounds.
Suddenly, Oregon was once again a team to be feared.
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Cal might be the worst shooting team in the country, right?
Cal was ranked 351st in the world on Friday against Stanford, shooting just 27.5% from 3-point range.st 349th out of 352 Division I teams, averaging 59.5 pointsthAdditionally, the Bears faced Stanford without top scorer Devin Askew, who led the team by a comfortable margin with 16.1 points and 19 3-pointer successes.
What happens then?
Cal went 16-22 on 3-point shots, tying the school record for 3-point shots made in a game, and scored a season-high 92 points in a 22-point win. .
The main difference was the presence of De Juan Clayton, a transfer from Coppin State and Hartford, who missed the first 13 games with a hamstring injury. He went 6-8 on 3 points against Stanford and the Bears are now 2-0 since he joined the starting lineup. The interesting thing is that in the games Askew played he was 0-12 on his Cal, and in the games he didn’t play he was 3-1.
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Will volatile Arizona stumble against Washington?
Arizona State University is one of the most unpredictable teams in the country. They beat Michigan by 25 points and Colorado on the road, but lost to Texas Southern and San Francisco by 37 points. So the Sun Devils think he might have another stinker against Washington after beating Washington State two days ago.
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What happens then?
Arizona State throws 11 dunks (more than half of their 20 2-point field goals) in a 73-65 win over the Huskies and puts on an athletic and fun basketball show. There were breakaway dunks, alley-oop dunks, follow shot dunks and driving dunks. Six of the dunks were by Devan Cambridge.
Coaches always say it takes a while for a team with a lot of rookies to find a rhythm and create continuity. His four of the Sun Devils’ top five scorers this offseason he moved to ASU. This may explain the discrepancy, but it contrasts with his 13-3 career record in his ASU, including his 4-1 in the Pac-12. Note that dunks have a high percentage of shots.
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Top 5 Pac-12 Teams (Currently)
1. UCLA (15-2, 5-0): NET Ranking: 7 — We don’t often see the Bruins take as big a lead as they did against USC, but they’re still winning.
2. Arizona (14-2, 3-2): NET Ranking: 9 – Shooting outside the Wildcats is a concern, resulting in combined losses to Utah and Arizona 8-53 (15.1%).
3. Arizona (13-3, 4-1): NET Ranking: 58 – When the Sun Devils play a wild and wacky game, they’re hard to beat.
4. Utah (12-5, 5-1): NET Ranking: 45 – A great defensive team, but this week’s road games against UCLA and USC may show if this team has enough offense.
5. Colorado (11-6, 3-3): NET Ranking: 61 – Slightly behind USC and Oregon, but the buff seems to be improving.
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Pac-12 Player of the Year Standings
1. Jaime Jaquez, UCLA (16.9 points, 52.6 FG%, 6.4 rebounds) – Jacquez does a lot to help his team, performing at his best in the moments that matter most.
2. Azorus tuberis, Arizona (20.6 points, 57.4 FG%, 9.1 rebounds) – He was the only Wildcat player to ever face Washington State.
3. KJ Simpson, Colorado (17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists) – But the Buffaloes dominated Oregon without him.
4. Umar Baro, Arizona (16.8 points, 67.3 FG%, 8.9 rebounds) – Washington State has figured out a way to limit his effectiveness.
5. Branden Carlson, Utah (15.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 39.6 3-pt%) – A 7-footer who can shoot from deep.
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Washington state DJ Rodman cover photo by Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports
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