From top to bottom, it’s been a strange year for the Pac-12.
A rookie coach picked up the pieces for a legendary program gone awry. An Elite Eight upstart from a year ago crashed and burned to just three wins. Three different teams reached the top 5 the Associated Press rankings.
But from A to Z, it seems we land in the same spot:
A is for Azuolas: Arizona power forward Azuolas Tubelis is not just one of the best big men in the league, he is also one of the most efficient. Tubelis ranked fourth in scoring and third in field goals made, but he also finished fourth in field goal percentage. Tubelis and Colorado’s Jabari Walker (See: W) both attempted 311 shots — but Tubelis made 25 more.
B is for Boogie: The AAC sixth man of the year for Memphis last season, Boogie Ellis transferred to USC and made an immediate impact in the Trojans’ starting lineup. He had four 20-point games during the regular season.
C is for Campbell: Is it possible to be an underrated Bob Cousy Award candidate? UCLA’s Tyger Campbell added a distance game to his arsenal and blossomed into one of the country’s top point guards as a junior. His improved 3-point numbers — from 0.6 makes per game on 25% shooting as a sophomore to 1.6 3s on better than 41% shooting — could play huge dividends in the postseason.
D is for Dashawn: Playing at the school that produced Gary Payton, Oregon State freshman Dashawn Davis is living up to the Beavers’ high standards. A candidate for league rookie of the year if the team was better, Davis is the Beavers’ best two-way player in years; he ranked among league leaders in assists, assist-to-turnover ratio and steals. He also scored 31 points on 14-for-24 shooting in a late-February double-overtime loss to USC, so he’s got some pop, too.
E is for Efe: A 6-foot-10-inch force in the paint for Washington State, Efe Abogidi is an imposition for Pac-12 big men. Abogidi ranks second behind Arizona’s Christian Koloko in blocked shots, and he’s had games with six and five blocks.
F is for Flowers: Forming a potent inside-out combo with Abogidi, Wazzu’s Michael Flowers made an immediate impact in The Palouse. Flowers finished the season as a top-10 scorer for the Cougars while leading the league in 3-pointers.
G is for Goodwin: One of college basketball’s elder statesmen — his freshman year was in 2016-17 with College of Charleston — USC’s Chevez Goodwin has grown into a fine post presence for the Trojans. He started 35 games for Wofford in 2019-20 and just one for USC last year, averaging 5.6 points per game. This year he’s started every game for the Trojans, ranking among the Pac-12’s best in field goal percentage and offensive rebounds.
H is for Harrison: Stanford freshman Harrison Ingram hasn't made the scoring impact that some expected he would, but the five-star recruit's five-tool game has translated well to the college level. Ingram earned six Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors, though he struggled down the stretch in five straight Stanford losses.
I is for Isaiah: USC’s Isaiah Mobley has emerged from the shadows of his younger brother Evan — last year’s No. 2 NBA draft pick — to become the Trojans’ top scoring option. Mobley upped his all-around game and is among conference leaders in several categories, ranking second in minutes played.
J is for Juzang: After one of the best NCAA Tournament runs in history, UCLA’s Johnny Juzang has followed with a terrific junior year. He’s battled some health issues, but when he’s on, he’s on. Juzang posted six 20-point games in Pac-12 play alone.
K is for Kerr — and Kriisa: After playing just eight games last season and starting five, Kerr Kriisa averaged 30 minutes, 10.1 points and 4.9 assists per game — second in the conference — as the Wildcats’ feistiest point guard since T.J. McConnell.
ASU forward Kimani Lawrence grabs an offensive rebound over Arizona’s Dalen Terry during the first half of their Feb. 7 game.
L is for Lawrence: One of the few regular bright spots in a mostly gray season for Arizona State, Sun Devils senior Kimani Lawrence has upped his averages almost across the board. The 6-6 forward averaged 10.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and had a half-dozen double-doubles in the regular season.
M is for Mathurin: Arizona wing Bennedict Mathurin is one of the league’s top scorers, and he heated up late in the season, topping 20 points in four straight games More than just a scorer, Mathurin ranks in the Pac-12’s top-15 in eight categories.
N is for N’Faly: Judging by his field-goal percentage, Oregon might want to feed big man N’Faly Dante more. A lot more. Dante has connected on 96 of 145 shooting attempts for a cool 66.2% from the field. That mark is 47 percentage points higher than Arizona’s Christian Koloko, who’s no slouch inside.
Stanford’s Michael O’Connell, right, looks to pass against Arizona State’s Jay Heath during the second half of Saturday’s game in Tempe.
O is for O’Connell: If Stanford’s Michael O’Connell looks like he has a special feel on the fast break, it might be in part due to his status as a top-100 lacrosse recruit. He was one of the top assist men in the conference.
P is for Peterson: One of the league’s all-around threats, USC’s Drew Peterson ranks in the top 15 in scoring, rebounding, assists, blocked shots, assist-to-turnover ratio and more. The former Rice guard might play himself into the NBA.
Q is for Quincy: Like his teammate below, Oregon’s Quincy Guerrier has been a steady presence for the Ducks this season. Guerrier is a rare inside-outside threat, ranking in the league’s top 20 in both rebounds and 3-point percentage.
R is for Richardson: One of those Pac-12 players who’ve seemingly been here a decade, Oregon’s Will Richardson took another stride in his senior year. Richardson ranks among league leaders in scoring, assists, assist-to-turnover ratio, free-throw percentage, 3-point field goals and percentage, minutes and steals.
S is for Shepherd: A terrific two-year starter for Charlotte after transferring in from Oklahoma, Cal’s Jordan Shepherd excelled in his final collegiate stop. Shepherd averaged 14.5 points per game in the regular season for the Golden Bears, contributing more than 100 points from the free-throw line.
Washington guard Terrell Brown Jr., a former UA player, is the Pac-12’s leading scorer.
T is for Terrell: Washington’s Terrell Brown Jr. capped off a fantastic college career by leading the Pac-12 in scoring by a wide margin. An anomaly in modern basketball as a guard without an outside game — he had just 10 3-pointers in the regular season — Brown excelled at the line and in the mid-range game.
U is for underdogs: The top seed has won just three of the last 12 Pac-12 tournaments, but Arizona still has to feel pretty good for its chances. UA has won twice as the top seed, in 2015 and 2017.
V is for victories: The Pac-12 had some impressive nonconference victories — chief among them, Arizona’s 80-62 win over then-No. 4 Michigan and UCLA’s 86-77 win over then-No. 4 Villanova — but the conference won less than 67% of its non-con games. Not exactly a good look.
W is for Walker: Colorado’s Jabari Walker, the son of 10-year NBA vet Samaki Walker, had a nice freshman season. But even Tad Boyle probably couldn’t have expected this kind of growth. After averaging 14.2 minutes, 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last year, Walker posted a league-best 9.4 rebounds per game to go along with 14.7 points.
X is for X-factor: Health will help determine this season’s Pac-12 Tournament in a big way. A handful of players — with Juzang (ankle) as the most glaring example — are less than 100%.
Y is for Young: Yet another impact transfer for Oregon, Jacob Young has come on strong during Pac-12 play. The little brother of former Ducks star Joe Young and son of Michael Young of Houston’s famed “Phi Slamma Jamma,” Young has upped his scoring and defense in the last two months. He’ll be a factor in the tournament.
Z is for ZonaZoo: Las Vegas has often been kind to “McKale North.” Wildcat fans will be out in full force. The last time the Arizona basketball team had a regular season with three or fewer losses was the vaunted 2014-15 squad with McConnell, Stanley Johnson, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski. And how did the Pac-12 Tournament go for them? Well, they won their three games by a combined 46 points. Arizona fans won’t miss a chance to watch the Wildcats cut down another net.
