Gabe York ended his time in the McKale Center in historic fashion while Arizona earned two wins. The West Covina, California native has been named NetScouts Basketball's National Player of the Week for games from February 29th to March 6th.
The 6-foot-3 guard began the week with two clutch three-pointers in the final minute that propelled Arizona to a comeback win over Cal. York's three with less than 20 seconds remaining gave the Wildcats a 62-61 advantage and was the eventual game-winner, as the Wildcats pulled off a 64-61 win. He ended the night with 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting. York responded by scoring a career-high 32 points on Senior Night, tying the school record with nine made three-pointers, as Arizona defeated Stanford 94-62. On the week, York averaged 25.5 points per game while shooting 60.7% (17-28) from the field and 60% (12-20) from three-point range.
While York's time at the McKale Center is finished, he'll look to continue his strong shooting display into the Pac-12 Tournament. The Wildcats should be a lock to make the NCAA Tournament regardless of their performance in the Pac-12 Tournament but a title would certainly help their seeding.
Another West Coast upperclassman had an impressive week as Dane Pineau led St. Mary's to a pair of victories. The Melbourne, Australia native has been named NetScouts Basketball's International Player of the Week for games from February 29th to March 6th.
Pineau began the week with a double-double, scoring 18 points and securing 10 rebounds, in a 73-64 win against Grand Canyon. He was 7-of-9 from the floor and had team-highs in the scoring and rebounding departments. Pineau then opened the WCC Tournament with 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and four blocks to advance into the next round. He was 6-of-9 from the floor as St. Mary's defeated Loyola Marymount 60-48. On the week, Pineau averaged 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 72.2% (13-18) from the field.
The 6-foot-9 junior forward has taken a leap forward this season after averaging just 3.8 points per game as a sophomore. Pineau is now the team's third leading scorer as Saint Mary's is in still in position to secure an NCAA Tournament berth.
Carl Berman is Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball.