BOULDER – University of Colorado senior guard McKinley Wright IV was named the Pac-12 Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, for the fourth time this season, the league office announced on Monday.
Wright, who already owns Colorado school marks for conference Player of the Week honors in a season and career (six), joins a short list of all-time Pac-12 honorees. He is the seventh Pac-12 player to earn six Player of the Week honors joining Gary Payton (Oregon State – 9), Chris Mills (Arizona – 7), Harold Miner (USC – 7), Sean Elliott (Arizona – 6), Adam Keefe (Stanford – 6) and Don MacLean (UCLA – 6).
A native of North Robbinsdale, Minn., Wright averaged 20.5 points and 10.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals leading the Buffaloes to wins over No. 19/18 USC and UCLA last week; both of which resided atop the league standings at the respective game time.
Wright had 15 points, dished out a career-high 14 assists and added three steals in the win over USC. The 14 assists tie for the second-most in school history and most since Jose Winston’s school-record 15 in 2001. It was Wright’s ninth points-assists double-double and ninth game in double-figure assists; both are CU career records. Wright’s 14 assists are the most by any Pac-12 player this season, in fact he owns the top two marks, also having 12 against California on Jan. 14.
Against UCLA, Wright scored a team season-high 26 points with six assists and five rebounds. The 26 points rank as his third best single-game output as he hit the 20-point mark for the 23rd time in his career. Wright was 10 of 16 from the field, the 10 field goals tying a career high.
Colorado, 19-7 overall and 13-6 in the Pac-12, is scheduled to host Arizona State in its regular season finale on Thursday, Mar. 4, at 7 p.m. at the CU Events Center.
Colorado Debuts In AP Top 25 Poll
Colorado appeared in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll for the first time this season, coming in at No. 24 in the latest rankings released on Monday.
This is Colorado’s 53rd all-time appearance in the AP Top 25 and first since a No. 21 ranking on Feb. 24, 2020, the final of a school-record 13 weekly rankings last season.
The Buffaloes had received votes in votes in the last 10 weekly AP polls. Colorado was ranked No. 23 in the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll, powered by USA Today, for one week back on Jan. 18. The Buffaloes received votes in this week’s edition of the coaches poll.
2020-21 Associated Press
top 25 Poll – Mar. 1
Rk Team Rec Pts Prev
1 Gonzaga (59) 24-0 1,571 1
2 Michigan (4) 18-1 1,512 3
3 Baylor 18-1 1,450 2
4 Illinois 18-6 1,350 5
5 Iowa 18-7 1,266 9
6 West Virginia 17-6 1,210 10
7 Ohio State 18-7 1,163 4
8 Alabama 19-6 1,130 6
9 Houston 20-3 1,109 12
10 Villanova 15-4 942 8
11 Florida State 14-4 897 11
12 Arkansas 19-5 847 20
13 Kansas 18-8 785 17
14 Creighton 17-6 669 13
15 Texas 14-7 650 14
16 Oklahoma 14-7 584 7
17 Oklahoma State 16-6 553 NR
18 Texas Tech 15-8 494 18
19 San Diego State 19-4 406 22
20 Loyola Chicago 21-4 367 21
21 Virginia 15-6 362 15
22 Virginia Tech 15-5 335 16
23 Purdue 16-8 192 NR
24 Colorado 19-7 150 NR
25 Wisconsin 16-9 106 23
Others receiving votes: BYU 101, USC 88, Clemson 47, Florida 24, Tennessee 19, St. Bonaventure 16, Oregon 15, Missouri 13, Wichita State 11, Maryland 9, Toledo 8, Connecticut 5, Belmont 5, Winthrop 4, North Carolina 4, UCLA 2, Louisville 2, UC Santa Barbara 1, Drake 1
TROY ANDRE | ASSOCIATE SID/MANAGING EDITOR CUBuffs.com
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