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The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat

 

Pac-12 Basketball Takeaways: ‘Cats, Ducks and Bears on the rise

Slut+Walk+began+at+the+Womens+Plaza+of+Honor+on+campus+and+ended+at+The+Hopyard+on+4th+Avenue+on+Saturday%2C+Nov.+14%2C+2015.+
Rebecca Noble
Slut Walk began at the Women’s Plaza of Honor on campus and ended at The Hopyard on 4th Avenue on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015.

The college basketball season is fully underway and the Pac-12 Conference is back with new faces and fantastic freshmen talent. The conference shouldn’t fail to disappoint, and with plenty of time until the madness of March begins, there is a lot to talk about in the Pac-12.

‘Cats flexing muscles early

The two-time defending Pac-12 champion Arizona is looking as good as ever, wining by an average of 19 points per game. Seniors Gabe York and Ryan Anderson are leading the No. 11 Wildcats in points and rebounds, respectively.

Head coach Sean Miller also deservers major credit for the talented freshmen he has brought in this season, led by Allonzo Trier who is averaging 13 points per game.

Ducks and Bears on the rise

Oregon got the season off to a hot 4-0 start with a notable win over a ranked Baylor team. Underclassman duo Tyler Dorsey and Dillon Brooks are at the helm of the No. 21 Ducks’ attack, combining for almost 30 points per game.

California is another team creeping up the national relevance chain. The Golden Bears are averaging 85 points per game and have stormed up to No. 14 in the country. Senior guard Tyrone Wallace leads Cal in scoring with 20.3 points per game.

Trouble in Salt Lake

Many were surprised when Utah started the season ranked No. 16, but the Utes had a great campaign last year. Utah did lose a key talent in guard Delon Wright, who was without question the team’s best player.

After three games within 11 points to begin the season, Utah finally got what was coming to it in a 90-66 loss to Miami. The Utes did bounce back against a tough Temple squad, however.

With tricky matchups against BYU, Wichita State and Duke on the horizon, just how many losses will Utah have before conference play begins?


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