Pac-12 links: Marcus Mariota is the last unsigned NFL first-round pick

» Former Oregon quarterback and No. 2 overall NFL draft pick Marcus Mariota has not yet signed his contract with the Tennessee Titans, making him the last first-rounder to hold out. A report suggested that Mariota was upset that the contract barred him from surfing — but, disappointingly, others have debunked that reason.

» Utah cornerback Dominique Hatfield has been charged with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony. A former receiver, he was expected to start as a junior.

» Colorado defensive tackle Josh Tupou has been ruled out for the Buffaloes this season after being arrested in spring, but school officials aren’t commenting further. Continue reading “Pac-12 links: Marcus Mariota is the last unsigned NFL first-round pick” »

At a glance: UCLA vs. Washington

UCLA (16-12, 8-7) vs. Washington (15-11, 4-10)
Wednesday, Feb. 25, 8 p.m., Pauley Pavilion
TV: ESPN2 (Dave Pasch, BIll Walton)
Radio: AM 570 (Chris Roberts, Tracy Murray)

Scouting report: A once-promising start to the season for Washington has fallen apart over the last month, with the Huskies stumbling into a seven-game losing streak — the longest of Lorenzo Romar’s 13-yard tenure.

Six of those losses came after the dismissal of big man Robert Upshaw. The 7-foot redshirt sophomore had averaged 10.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.4 blocks before violating team rules. No one in college basketball is averaging more than 3.74 blocks per game, and only six are even averaging more than 3.0. And even though he hasn’t played since Jan. 28, Upshaw is still fifth in the country and first in the Pac-12 with 85 total blocks; next-best in the conference is Oregon’s Jordan Bell, who is seven blocks behind despite playing eight more games.

The effect of Upshaw’s absence is easy to gauge. In the seven conference games he played in, he recorded 29 blocks and helped Washington hold opponents to 41 percent shooting from the field. In seven games without him, the Huskies are giving up 53.6 percent.

This means it’s as good a matchup as any for Tony Parker to find his groove again. Continue reading “At a glance: UCLA vs. Washington” »

Best quotes of Pac-12 Media Day

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When you gather together every Pac-12 coach into one room, a few good moments are bound to materialize. Here are some of the best quotes from Thursday’s Pac-12 Media Day, held at Pac-12 Networks studios in San Francisco.

— Arizona ran away with media votes in the preseason poll, taking 21 of 23 first-place votes. UCLA and Colorado finished second and third, respectively, each taking one of the two remaining votes.

Buffs guard Spencer Dinwiddie didn’t agree with that projection: “We don’t view Arizona as the top, the cream, and everybody else in the rest. We view ourselves as the cream and everybody else can fight for the rest of the spots.” Continue reading “Best quotes of Pac-12 Media Day” »

Pac-12 links: Ed Orgeron berated former player; Arizona adds unique display facemasks

— A USC player from the late 1990s and early 2000s says Ed Orgeron called him a “motherf—-r” for leaving practice 20 minutes early once a week for a statistics class. Best quote: “He M-F’d me all over the place.” Orgeron did not comment.

— These won’t be on the field, but Arizona is getting some unique display-model facemasks — including ones with an A-logo and “Cats” script.

— Stanford released a slick “You Can Play” video, one that features forward Josh Huestis and running back Barry Sanders Jr. Athletic director Bernard Muir opens by setting up chairs for everyone.

— Cal’s speedy but oft-injured tailback Brendan Bigelow has had wheels since he was a kid. The Bears also gave their basketball court a paint job.

— SI’s Andy Staples and former NCAA compliance officer John Infante both break down the problematic nature of the NLI. Continue reading “Pac-12 links: Ed Orgeron berated former player; Arizona adds unique display facemasks” »

UCLA at Washington: Halftime update

Washington holds a 31-30 lead at halftime, but UCLA surprisingly holds a 20-16 edge on the boards. Another anomaly? Point guard Larry Drew II only has one dime for the Bruins, who are very much in this game despite five assists against seven turnovers. Forward Travis Wear’s right foot looks healed and he leads the game with 10 points.

UCLA is only shooting 1 of 6 from 3-point range, but the Huskies are just 2 of 6 at the free throw line.