Washington faces Colorado in Pac-12 semis

Colorado (21-11, 12-8) vs. Washington (25-7, 16-3)

Pac-12 Conference Tournament Semifinals, T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas; Friday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: A spot in the Pac-12 championship game is up for grabs as Colorado and Washington are set to face off. Washington won both of the regular season matchups earlier this season. The teams last went at it on Feb. 23, when the Huskies forced 19 Colorado turnovers and turned the ball over just 11 times en route to a nine-point victory.

BIG MEN ON CAMPUS: Jaylen Nowell has averaged 16.5 points and 5.4 rebounds to lead the charge for the Huskies. Noah Dickerson is also a primary contributor, putting up 12.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. For the Buffaloes, this game represents a Nevada homecoming for sophomore Tyler Bey, who’s averaging 13 points and 9.6 rebounds. Bey has been complemented by McKinley Wright IV, who’s putting up 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

NIFTY NOWELL: Nowell has connected on 44.9 percent of the 107 3-pointers he’s attempted and has made 11 of 20 over the last five games. He’s also converted 75.7 percent of his free throws this season.

THREAT BEHIND THE ARC: Colorado’s Gatling has attempted 169 3-pointers and connected on 33.7 percent of them, and is 5 for 13 over his last three games.

ASSIST-TO-FG RATIO: The Buffaloes have recently used assists to create baskets more often than the Huskies. Washington has 34 assists on 72 field goals (47.2 percent) across its previous three games while Colorado has assists on 40 of 70 field goals (57.1 percent) during its past three games.

STINGY DEFENSE: Washington has forced opponents into committing turnovers on 24.1 percent of all possessions this year, the ninth-highest rate among all Division I teams. The Huskies have forced conference foes into turnovers on 26.2 percent of all possessions.