Team of the Week: Arizona
Two teams in the conference went on the road and came away with sweeps last week. Alas, we can only pick one in this space, so we leave Oregon – and their likely NCAA Tournament-clinching week aside – to go with the team that locked up a share of the conference title by knocking off upstart Utah in Salt Lake City. After blowing out Colorado in a dominant performance with everybody contributing, Saturday night’s game was all about toughness. The Wildcats started fast and closed fast, taking home the Pac-12 title largely on the strength of their calling card, defense. In a one-point game down the stretch, the Wildcats held Utah without a point in their final four possessions to pull out the title-clinching win.
(Also receiving votes: Oregon)
Player of the Week: Joseph Young, Sr, Oregon
Arizona’s wins this week were built on team, with any number of guys in red and blue uniforms putting in great contributions toward a big-time road win. For Oregon, while the Ducks are certainly more than just a one-man wrecking crew, Young is clearly the engine. He played every minute save three in garbage time against Cal, averaged 23.0 points, 4.5 boards, 2.5 assists per game, and shot a 52.6% eFG while every defensive eye was on him throughout. He’s just a joy to watch.
(Also receiving votes: Norman Powell, UCLA)
Newcomer of the Week: Dwayne Benjamin, Junior, Oregon
“Snoog Dogg” has been a favorite around these parts since the preseason, and last week he put together his best pair of back-to-back performances on the year, averaging 16.5 points and nine boards per game this weekend, knocking in five threes and shooting it at a blistering 80.6% eFG clip. A versatile defender capable of banging with the big boys down low or pestering wings on the perimeter, Benjamin’s willingness to do whatever has been asked of him has been a big part of the team’s overall success.
(Also receiving votes: Michael Humphrey, Stanford; Gary Payton II, Oregon State)
Power Rankings
It’s been a wild race through the season, with teams jumping up and down the power rankings on a whim. But with just one week left to play, we’ve finally got some consensus at both the top and the bottom. Arizona, Utah and Oregon represent the consensus cream of the crop, while Colorado, Washington State, USC and Washington bring up the rear. In between, the middle five teams in the conference are finally beginning to line up in some kind of reasonable order. With just one game to play, it appears UCLA still has some work to do to jump over the bubble line and into the NCAA Tournament.