Wednesday, March 13
Las Vegas, NV
12:00 PM
University of Washington
vs
USC
UW Begins Pac-12 Tournament Wednesday Against USC
March 11, 2024 | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS β Washington (17-14, 9-11 Pac-12) opens the Pac-12 Tournament on Wednesday against USC.Β
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The eighth-seeded Huskies and ninth-seeded Trojans will tip off at 12 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena. Roxy Bernstein, Matt Muehlebach and Elise Woodward will call the action on the Pac-12 Network while Tony Castricone and Jason Hamilton have the call on the WashingtonΒ Sports Network and in Seattle on Sports Radio 93.3 KJR-FM.
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THE MATCHUP
Washington and USC will play for the second time in 11 days after the Trojans spoiled senior day in Seattle. Isaiah Collier scored 31 points to give USC its eighth-straight win in the series - the longest win streak for either team in their 157 meetings, dating back to 1925.
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PAC-12 TOURNEY NUGGETS
The last time these teams met in the Pac-12 Tournament was in 2022 when 21st-ranked USC ended UW's season in the quarterfinals. The Trojans hold a 2-1 advantage in conference tournament meetings. The last win for the Huskies was in the 2019 quarterfinals. The Huskies are 1-2 on neutral courts this year, all in Las Vegas. Both losses came at the hands ofΒ NET top-36 teamsΒ (SDSU, Colorado State). UW seeks a quarterfinal appearance for the second time in three years.
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LAST TIME OUT
Koren Johnson scored 23 points (18 in the second half), Keion Brooks Jr. added 22 and Washington knocked off No. 18 Washington State 74-68 in the 299th meeting and final Pac-12 Conference matchup between the cross-state rivals. It was Washington's first road win over a ranked opponent since beating Kansas on Dec. 6, 2017 and first road win over a ranked conference opponent since 2009. The Huskies are now 2-2 against ranked opponents this season and 1-1 on the road. It was the Huskies' first win in Pullman since 2021 and gave them their most Pac-12 road wins in a single season since 2018-19.
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NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Keion Brooks Jr. is a top-40 candidate for the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy and All-America honors and also a finalist for the Julius Erving Award for small forward. Brooks is one of two DI players averaging 21.0 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 49% overall (Zach Edey). The last Pac-12 player with those averages was Deandre Ayton. Neither aforementioned player shot 39 percent from three-point range. Prior to this season, Brooks had never made more than 28 percent of his threes. He was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference first team on Tuesday.
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6TH MAN
Koren Johnson became just the second Husky to be named Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year and first since Al Moscatel (1986). He is the first Husky to win a major award since Jaylen Nowell (Player of the Year) and Matisse Thybulle (Defensive Player of the Year) in 2019. Johnson led all Pac-12 bench players in scoring, assists, steals and field goal percentage in league play and ranked top-20 overall in assists and steals. He is averaging 18.7 points and 4.2 assists while shooting 50.5 FG% and 50% 3PT% in his last seven games. That stretch started with a career-high 30 points against Stanford, the most points by a Husky bench player since 2002 and most by an underclassman since David Crisp in 2017.
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TOP DAWGS
UW is the one of two Power-5 teams with conference leaders in both points per game and assists per game (Tennessee). Sahvir Wheeler is the active DI leader in assists (837) and ranks in the top 40 in DI history. Wheeler and Paul Mulcahy each rank in the top-ten in the Pac-12 in assists per game and combine for the most career assists of any backcourt in the country. Mulcahy ranks 25th (560) among active leaders. Wheeler will enter the top three on UW's single-season list with his next assist, which will give him 182.
NON-CONFERENCE RECAP
The Huskies won eight non-conference games for second-straight season, which equals their most since winning 10 in 2019-20. The Huskies went 4-2 over teams that made last year's NCAA Tournament. No other Pac-12 team had more such wins during non-conference play. UW is one of four Pac-12 teams to beat a Top-25 non-conference opponent this season (Gonzaga). Two of the Huskies' three losses were to top-35 NET teams (CSU, SDSU).
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HIGH-SCORING HUSKIES
The Huskies are averaging 80.8 ppg, the second-most in the Pac-12 and most by a UW team since 2015-16 (83.9). It puts an offense that has scored 90 points six times 32nd in the country. UW scored at least 74 points in each of its first 10 games in 2023-24 after only reaching the 74-point mark three times in the first 10 games last season. They are also third in the Pac-12 in shooting and fastbreak points.
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Follow the Dawgs in their quest for a Pac-12 Championship @UW_MBB on X and Instagram.
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The eighth-seeded Huskies and ninth-seeded Trojans will tip off at 12 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena. Roxy Bernstein, Matt Muehlebach and Elise Woodward will call the action on the Pac-12 Network while Tony Castricone and Jason Hamilton have the call on the WashingtonΒ Sports Network and in Seattle on Sports Radio 93.3 KJR-FM.
Β
THE MATCHUP
Washington and USC will play for the second time in 11 days after the Trojans spoiled senior day in Seattle. Isaiah Collier scored 31 points to give USC its eighth-straight win in the series - the longest win streak for either team in their 157 meetings, dating back to 1925.
Β
PAC-12 TOURNEY NUGGETS
The last time these teams met in the Pac-12 Tournament was in 2022 when 21st-ranked USC ended UW's season in the quarterfinals. The Trojans hold a 2-1 advantage in conference tournament meetings. The last win for the Huskies was in the 2019 quarterfinals. The Huskies are 1-2 on neutral courts this year, all in Las Vegas. Both losses came at the hands ofΒ NET top-36 teamsΒ (SDSU, Colorado State). UW seeks a quarterfinal appearance for the second time in three years.
Β
LAST TIME OUT
Koren Johnson scored 23 points (18 in the second half), Keion Brooks Jr. added 22 and Washington knocked off No. 18 Washington State 74-68 in the 299th meeting and final Pac-12 Conference matchup between the cross-state rivals. It was Washington's first road win over a ranked opponent since beating Kansas on Dec. 6, 2017 and first road win over a ranked conference opponent since 2009. The Huskies are now 2-2 against ranked opponents this season and 1-1 on the road. It was the Huskies' first win in Pullman since 2021 and gave them their most Pac-12 road wins in a single season since 2018-19.
Β
NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Keion Brooks Jr. is a top-40 candidate for the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy and All-America honors and also a finalist for the Julius Erving Award for small forward. Brooks is one of two DI players averaging 21.0 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 49% overall (Zach Edey). The last Pac-12 player with those averages was Deandre Ayton. Neither aforementioned player shot 39 percent from three-point range. Prior to this season, Brooks had never made more than 28 percent of his threes. He was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference first team on Tuesday.
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6TH MAN
Koren Johnson became just the second Husky to be named Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year and first since Al Moscatel (1986). He is the first Husky to win a major award since Jaylen Nowell (Player of the Year) and Matisse Thybulle (Defensive Player of the Year) in 2019. Johnson led all Pac-12 bench players in scoring, assists, steals and field goal percentage in league play and ranked top-20 overall in assists and steals. He is averaging 18.7 points and 4.2 assists while shooting 50.5 FG% and 50% 3PT% in his last seven games. That stretch started with a career-high 30 points against Stanford, the most points by a Husky bench player since 2002 and most by an underclassman since David Crisp in 2017.
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TOP DAWGS
UW is the one of two Power-5 teams with conference leaders in both points per game and assists per game (Tennessee). Sahvir Wheeler is the active DI leader in assists (837) and ranks in the top 40 in DI history. Wheeler and Paul Mulcahy each rank in the top-ten in the Pac-12 in assists per game and combine for the most career assists of any backcourt in the country. Mulcahy ranks 25th (560) among active leaders. Wheeler will enter the top three on UW's single-season list with his next assist, which will give him 182.
NON-CONFERENCE RECAP
The Huskies won eight non-conference games for second-straight season, which equals their most since winning 10 in 2019-20. The Huskies went 4-2 over teams that made last year's NCAA Tournament. No other Pac-12 team had more such wins during non-conference play. UW is one of four Pac-12 teams to beat a Top-25 non-conference opponent this season (Gonzaga). Two of the Huskies' three losses were to top-35 NET teams (CSU, SDSU).
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HIGH-SCORING HUSKIES
The Huskies are averaging 80.8 ppg, the second-most in the Pac-12 and most by a UW team since 2015-16 (83.9). It puts an offense that has scored 90 points six times 32nd in the country. UW scored at least 74 points in each of its first 10 games in 2023-24 after only reaching the 74-point mark three times in the first 10 games last season. They are also third in the Pac-12 in shooting and fastbreak points.
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Follow the Dawgs in their quest for a Pac-12 Championship @UW_MBB on X and Instagram.
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Players Mentioned
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