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Arizona guard Dalen Terry (4), left, and USC forward Evan Mobley (4) get tied up fighting for an inlet pass in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 7, 2021.

Arizona's game at USC on Saturday has been set for 4 p.m., with coverage on Fox.

The Wildcats were already scheduled to face UCLA on Thursday at 7 p.m, with either ESPN or ESPN2 carrying the game.


Monday's Associated Press Top 25 poll was the latest signal that Arizona is in for a difficult trip to Los Angeles this week.

USC, alone in first place in the Pac-12 standings, rose to No. 17 in the Top 25 while second-place UCLA is still getting votes (finishing 37th in voting overall) despite losing at Washington State last weekend.

The Trojans were the only ranked Pac-12 team again last week, with Colorado unable to jump in after losing at Cal and falling to No. 30 overall in vote totals. Oregon also received the 31st most votes overall.

FWIW, I had USC at 18 and Oregon at 24 onΒ my ballot. Most of the Ducks' losses have come after COVID pauses and/or when key injuries were a factor.


USC rose to No. 12 in Kenpom, No. 20 in Sagarin and No. 15 in the NET, while UCLA and Arizona are comparable in those metrics: UA is 46 and UCLA in the NET, UA is 50 and UCLA 40 in Sagarin and UA is 41 and UCLA 45 in Kenpom.


Five-star 2022 center Enoch Boakye of Canada decommitted from Michigan State and is considering Arizona, according to Tipton Edits.


Arizona nominated Azuolas Tubelis for Pac-12 Freshman of the Week after he averaged 13.0 points and 8.5 rebounds but it looks like another shoo-in week for USC's Evan Mobley to win that award after he had 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.0 blocks and 2.0 assists in the Trojans' wins at Washington State and Washington.

Tahj Eaddy of USC is also among the Pac-12 Player of the Week candidates, having averaged 19.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists, along with Oregon's Eugene Omoruyi, Cal's Matt Bradley and UCLA's Johnny Juzang, among others.


Estonia will have to face Italy on Friday in Eurobasket qualifying without Kerr Kriisa, who will be busy in Los Angeles. Kriisa played for Estonia in a loss to Russia in November, when he was ineligible to play in the NCAAs.

Kriisa continues to be of interest in his home country.


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