After a weekend full of exciting basketball, it’s time for some recognition. Arizona State senior forward Carrick Felix is your Pac-12 player of the week after combining for 37 points and 21 rebounds in the Sun Devils’ sweep of Colorado and Utah last week. The Arizona Republic’s Doug Haller has more on Felix being the only two-time recipient of the award thus far this season.
Arizona is still undefeated but after two squeakers, the Wildcats dropped a spot – from No. 3 to No. 4 – in the AP rankings. Greg Hansen of the Arizona Daily Star takes a historical look at Arizona’s trip to Oregon’s Matthew Knight Arena on Thursday. Hansen notes that the Wildcats await one of the conference’s more rabid fan bases in Eugene, just as they did when an unbeaten Arizona team traveled to New Mexico in 1932 and 1988.
Arizona State junior center Jordan Bachynski abused Colorado’s big men for 16 points, nine blocks and seven rebounds in the Sun Devils’ 65-56 win on Sunday. The Daily Camera’s Ryan Thorburn has more on the Buffs’ interior defense.
Some thought UCLA’s sweep of the Bay Area schools and a seven-game win streak would land them in the top 25, but Associated Press voters and college head coaches were not among them. The Bruins merely received votes in both polls (41 in the AP and three in the coaches poll).
Utah has improved its defense and rebounding under second-year coach Larry Krystkowiak. The Salt Lake Tribune’s Tony Jones says those two attributes will make the Utes a hard bunch to handle for most every team in the conference. That leaves Utah looking for help outside: another Jones piece in the Trib.
Cal and Stanford’s women’s teams prepare for a top-10 battle on the hardwood tonight in Berkeley. California Golden Blogs has a preview of what they say “may be the most important game in the history of the program.”
The Seattle Times’ Percy Allen takes a look at how much Washington’s 68-63 road win over Washington State helped the Huskies’ RPI ranking – they jumped more than 20 spots.
Washington State’s women’s basketball win over Arizona State leads the Spokesman-Review’s college roundup. Sophomore Tia Presley scored a career-high 27 points to lead the Cougs on Sunday.
The college football season may have ended Monday but the news keeps coming. Stanford tight end Zach Ertz will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft per ESPN’s Kevin Gemmell. Ertz racked up six touchdowns on 898 receiving yards this season. He is projected to go in the second round of April’s draft, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
Three Pac-12 players were named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-American team. USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams was the only true freshman among them (UCLA center Jake Brendel and Oregon offensive lineman Tyler Johnstone are the others).
Oregon’s 35-17 win in the Fiesta Bowl, its second consecutive BCS bowl victory, has the Ducks atop Bud Withers’ (Seattle Times) rankings of all Pac-12 bowl performances. USC’s 21-7 loss to Georgia Tech was the Pac-12′s most disappointing showing, according to Withers.
Oregon State fell to Oregon in the Civil War late Sunday night, 79-66. The Oregonian’s John Hunt goes inside the numbers behind the Beavers’ 0-1 start to Pac-12 play.