UCLA's Kyle Anderson wins Pac-12 Men's Basketball Player of the Week honors

Fresh off a too-close-for-comfort 76-64 home win against Cal, and with a tough road trip against the Oregon schools looming ahead, the UCLA Bruins received some positive news today when versatile guard Kyle Anderson was named Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for his outstanding play from January 20-26.

Anderson averaged 15 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists to help UCLA sweep a pair of home games against Stanford and California. Anderson posted his team-leading 10th and 11th double-doubles in both games, helping UCLA push its overall record to 16-4 (5-2 in Pac-12).

The sophomore finished with 13 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds in the Bruins’ 91-74 win over Stanford on Thursday. He then put up 17 points, a team-high 12 rebounds, and five assists in UCLA’s win over California.

Anderson has been stuffing the stat sheet all season, as he is the Conference’s only player to rank among the top five in the Pac-12 in assists, rebounds, and steals per game.  In a year filled several freshmen standouts, no player in the nation is averaging as close to a triple-double this season as Anderson (15.5 ppg, 9 rpg, 6.7 apg).

Last year, Anderson was somewhat overlooked due to coach Ben Howland being on the hot seat and the NCAA's investigation of heavily-hyped freshman Shabazz Muhammad.

This year Anderson clearly has assumed the Bruins' leadership role, running the point and helping out on the boards down low.

What Anderson lacks in explosive athletic ability, he more than makes up for in skill, as he is an excellent ball handler and passer who also has improved his outside shot this season.  Anderson projects as a 3 at the next level in the general mold of a point forward, such as a Toni Kukoc or perhaps a poor man's Lamar Odom.

The Bruins face the Ducks on Thursday at 6 p.m. PT, and then play the Beavers in Corvallis on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. PT.

Other nominees for the award included Arizona's Nick Johnson, Arizona State's Jahii Carson, Oregon State's Roberto Nelson, Stanford's Dwight Powell, and Washington's Nigel Williams-Goss.

Pac-12 News and Notes

• Arizona holds the top spot for a school record eighth week in a row in the weekly polls. It’s the 37th time they’ve been ranked Number 1, and they are one of three remaining undefeated NCAA I teams (Syracuse and Wichita State are the other two). Arizona’s 20-0 start to the season is its best in school history.

• The Pac-12 remains third in the Sagarin conference ratings.

• Midseason Watch Lists: Four Pac-12 players are among the 25 players listed for the Wooden Award, which recognizes the nation’s top player. Those four are Kyle Anderson (UCLA), Aaron Gordon (Arizona), Nick Johnson (Arizona), and Joseph Young (Oregon).


This Week’s Pac-12 Schedule

Wed., Jan. 29
No. 1 ARIZONA at STANFORD, 6 p.m. PT, ESPN2
ARIZONA STATE at CALIFORNIA, 8 p.m. PT, ESPNU

Thurs., Jan. 30
USC at OREGON STATE, 6 p.m. PT, P12N
UCLA at OREGON, 6 p.m. PT, ESPN2

Sat., Feb. 1
UTAH at COLORADO, 12 noon MT, P12N
ARIZONA STATE at STANFORD, 1 p.m. PT, P12N
WASHINGTON at WASHINGTON STATE, 3 p.m. PT, P12N
USC at OREGON, 5 p.m. PT, P12N
No. 1 ARIZONA at CALIFORNIA, 7:30 p.m. PT, P12N

Sun., Feb. 2
UCLA at OREGON STATE, 11:30 a.m. PT, ESPNU


By Staff of The Daily Sports Herald and news services