Pac-12 Weekly Honors: Week Four
Posted by Andrew Murawa on December 15th, 2014Each week the Pac-12 microsite will run down our weekly superlatives, which typically will include a Team, Player and Newcomer of the Week, along with our weekly Power Rankings.
Team of the Week: Utah
There were quite a few deserving teams this week. Arizona whooped the god-knows-what out of a reeling Michigan team. Oregon went on the “road” and beat a good Illinois team in a hardly neutral United Center. But you know what’s even better than a good “road” win? A real road win against a quality intrastate rival, followed up by a trip to the middle of the country to face a blue-blood program in their own backyard on national television and showing for all the college basketball world that you are a legitimate top-20 team. Now, that’s not to say this week wasn’t without some warts for the Utes. Their win at BYU, while a quality road win in a tough environment, was more annoying than anything else. And their battle with Kansas in Kansas City, while eventually a good showing against a quality opponent, was also frustrating in part due to a lackluster showing late in the first half and missed opportunities late in the game. Any doubts as to Utah’s standing on a national stage should be completely gone by now.
(Also receiving votes: Arizona, Oregon)
The RTC Pac-12 Team of the Week Is Certainly Something Worth Celebrating (AP)
Player of the Week: Delon Wright, Utah
Well, there was this. And then, there was this. And then just the opening of the Kansas game, where he threw in an amazing running bank before stealing the inbounds pass and drilling a 15-footer. The wows don’t stop with the Utah star. For the week, we’re talking 20.5 points, 8.0 boards, 3.5 assists, 3 steals, 1.5 blocks per game and a 65.2% eFG. Those numbers don’t even do him justice.
(Also receiving votes: Tyrone Wallace, Cal)
Newcomer of the Week: Dillon Brooks, Oregon
Brooks has been strong all year long. He’s scored in double figures in each of his nine career games; he’s the team’s second-leading assist man; he’s one of their most consistent and versatile defenders; and he’s just one of several quality rebounders on the team. In this week’s win over Illinois in Chicago, he proved to be one of the team’s clutch go-to players down the stretch, going for 24 points, five boards, four assists and two blocks, just another in a long line of impressive games for the freshman.
(Also receiving votes: Stanley Johnson, Arizona)
Power Rankings
In a week slowed somewhat by final exams, it isn’t a huge surprise that we have no change in the top eight spots in our power rankings. And now we have unanimous choices at our top three spots in the league, and unanimous choices at spots six and seven, with our votes evenly split between UCLA and Cal as the fourth best team in the league.
Andrew Murawa Likes Basketball.
