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The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat

 

Top 5 stats that gave Arizona men’s basketball the Pac-12 Tournament Championship

Arizonas+Deandre+Ayton+shows+emotion+after+an+and-1+play+in+the+Arizona-USC+Championship+game+at+the+2018+Pac-12+Tournament+on+Saturday%2C+March+10+in+T-Mobile+Arena+in+Las+Vegas%2C+Nev.
Simon Asher
Arizona’s Deandre Ayton shows emotion after an and-1 play in the Arizona-USC Championship game at the 2018 Pac-12 Tournament on Saturday, March 10 in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

The Arizona men’s basketball team secured their second consecutive Pac-12 Tournament Title Saturday in T-Mobile Arena. Here are the five stats that defined victory for the Wildcats.

42

Arizona pounded USC to the tune of a 42-19 rebound advantage in the game. The Wildcats had 13 offensive rebounds, almost matching the total output by the Trojans.

48

Center Dusan Ristic and forward Deandre Ayton combined for 48 points on the night. That kind of output is next-level from two front court players. Arizona as a team had 42 points in the paint, solid production overall.

2

The Arizona bench had just two Dylan Smith free throws to contribute to their overall production. It appears the rotation is set at eight with Emmanuel Akot, Keanu Pinder and Smith as the lone three off the bench.

63.2

Arizona’s defense is certainly trending up if you go by points allowed per game. In Arizona’s last five contests they have given up an average of 63.2 points per game, this is in stark contrast to the 72.55 ppg average they had the previous 29 games before. A near 10-point improvement is a significant accomplishment for a team considered to be head coach Sean Millers worst defensively for the majority of the season.

3

Arizona has won the Pac-12 Tournament now three of the last four seasons. They have also won the Pac-12 regular season title  four of the past five seasons. A solid run by any measure.


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