Pac-12 Basketball: UCLA Difficult to KO. Big Men Are Big Again

Who is atop our conference Player of the Year standings this week?

Although UCLA suffered its first Pac-12 loss at Arizona on Saturday, the Bruins demonstrated again how difficult it is to finish them off.

The Wildcats had a seemingly safe 12-point lead with two minutes left on their intimidating home court, but the Bruins somehow got the deficit down to four points and barely missed two shots that would have reduced the margin to two points before losing by six.

This late rally was typical this season for UCLA, which can be bloodied and bruised but delivers the big punch down the stretch.

---UCLA trailed Oregon by three on the road with 10 minutes left. UCLA won by nine.

---UCLA was tied with surging Kentucky with 14 minutes left. UCLA won by 10.

---UCLA trailed Washington State by nine with seven minutes left in Pullman, Wash. UCLA won by a point.

---UCLA blew a big lead and trailed USC by two points with 20 seconds remaining. UCLA won by two.

---UCLA trailed Colorado by nine points with 10:21 to go. UCLA won by 14.

---UCLA trailed Arizona State by six with 11 minutes left. UCLA won by 12.

Three reasons UCLA can overcome deficits in the tense closing minutes:

1. Head coach Mick Cronin: The Bruins are disciplined offensively and defensively and do the right things when it matters most.

UCLA limited Arizona to 58 points, and Cronin blamed the Bruins' defense for the loss.

2. Point guard Tyger Campbell: The Bruins’ floor leader makes the right plays at crunch time at both ends of the court.

3. Experience: Jaime Jaquez Jr. (117 college games, 109 starts), Tyger Campbell (116 college games, 116 starts), David Singleton (147 college games, 32 starts), Jaylen Clark (79 college games, 25 starts).

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Big Men Take Command

It wasn’t long ago that the center position was an endangered species in college basketball. It’s back as the defining aspect of Pac-12 hoops this season.

Two Pac-12 teams – Arizona and Oregon – each has a starting lineup that includes a 6-foot-11 player and a 7-footer. And a number of big men are major forces.

--- 6-foot-11 Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona – He leads the conference in scoring and rebounding.

--- 7-foot Branden Carlson, Utah – A 7-footer who has hit 43.8% of his three-pointers.

--- 6-foot-11 N’Faly Dante, Oregon – 22 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks in the win over Arizona.

--- 6-foot-11 Mouhamed Gueye, Washington State – Scored 20 points or more five times this season

--- 7-foot Oumar Ballo, Arizona – Ballo has scored in double figures in every game.

--- 7-foot Warren Washington, Arizona State – 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks against USC Sunday.

--- 6-foot-11 Joshua Morgan, USC – Four blocks or more seven times this season, and seven blocks twice.

---7-foot-1 Braxton Meah, Washington – A superstar some games, disappears in others.

---7-foot Kel’el Ware, Oregon, and 6-foot-10 Adem Bona, UCLA – Freshmen who could be special in a year or two.

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Top Five Pac-12 Teams (at the moment)

1. UCLA (17-3, 8-1 Pac-12), NET ranking: 5 – Losing to Arizona by six in Tucson is no disgrace, and Bruins are still in the top 10.

2. Arizona (17-3, 6-3), NET ranking: 11 – Wildcats are ranked No. 6, ahead of UCLA, in this week’s AP poll even though they are two games behind in the Pac-12 standings.

3. Utah (14-7, 7-3), NET ranking: 47 -- Convincing wins over the Washington schools put the Utes back in the race.

4. USC (14-6, 6-3), NET ranking: 61 – Thursday’s home game against UCLA will be pivotal.

5. Arizona State (15-5, 6-3), NET ranking: 54 – Just when ASU  looked like a certain NCAA Tournament team it gets swept at home. ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has ASU as one of the last four teams in this week.

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Player of the Year Standings

1. Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona (19.9 points, 9.4 rebounds) – 17 rebounds in the win over USC.

2. Branden Carlson, Utah (17.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 blocks) – Scored more than 20 points in each of the past three games.

3. Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA (16.1 points, 7.2 rebounds) – 9-for-29 shooting against the Arizona schools drops him a bit.

4. Drew Peterson, USC (14.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists) – 19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 3 steals in win over Arizona State.

5. Oumar Ballo, Arizona (16.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 64.5 FG%) – Ballo and Tyger Cambell are virtually tied for the final spot.

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Cover photo of Mick Cronin by Zachary BonDurant, USA TODAY Sports.

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