1. No. 9 Arizona (20-3, 8-3 Pac-12, Last week: No. 7 )
This has been the toughest set of rankings to put together yet, with the top eight teams separated by just two games. Out of all of them, Arizona still looks like the only Pac-12 team safely in the NCAA Tournament field despite losing at home Sunday night. The Wildcats now have two unexpected duds on their home floor (losses to the Bears and Bruins) but their overall resume is still the strongest.
This week: Thursday at Colorado, Sunday at Utah
2. No. 23 Oregon (19-5, 8-3, Last week: No. 1)
The injury to Dominic Artis continues to loom over Oregon. Without their starting point guard, the Ducks have put together a 2-3 record over their last five games. Oregon’s offense has taken a step back, as displayed on Thursday night when Colorado went on an 8-0 to close the game and win by a point. Artis’ injury isn’t reported as season-ending but the Ducks have basically lost all momentum. They have a lot riding on the true freshman coming back.
This week: Wednesday at Washington, Saturday at Washington State
3. UCLA (18-6, 8-3, Last week: No. 4)
UCLA’s season will likely be defined by its closing stretch. The Bruins hit the road on Thursday and will be away for five of their last seven games. They’ve lost only once at a road site so far, and must maintain that trend if they want to finish the Pac-12 season on a high note. The top four teams in the Pac-12 Tournament get byes to the quarterfinals, something the Bruins will surely need if they want to contend for the crown. Getting two wins on the Bay Area trip this weekend will be a difficult task.
This week: Thursday at Cal, Saturday at Stanford
4. Arizona State (18-6, 7-4, Last week: No. 3)
The Sun Devils were just a couple points short of getting in on the first-place tie. Their comeback at home against Stanford wasn’t to be, though, and instead, ASU is in sole possession of fourth place. This is an important spot to be in because of the one-game bye it carries for the Pac-12 Tournament in March, something the Sun Devils and plenty of teams below them covet greatly. Like UCLA, Arizona State finishes its season with five of seven on the road.
This week: Wednesday at Utah, Saturday at Colorado
5. Stanford (15-9, 6-5, Last week: No. 5)
Out of the four teams tied at 6-5, the Cardinal look like the toughest to beat. Stanford has great inside and outside presences and can play with almost anyone. The Cardinal host the teams from Los Angeles in a huge week of conference play. Thursday’s game will break the tie in the standings with USC and on Saturday, Stanford could gain a game on UCLA.
This week: Thursday v. USC, Saturday v. UCLA
6. California (14-9, 6-5, Last week: No. 7)
Only Cal and UCLA, two teams playing Thursday night in Berkeley, have beaten Arizona on its home floor this season. The Bears are coming off their biggest win of the season after toppling the Wildcats, just like the Bruins did two weeks ago. Cal returns home to host the L.A. schools and finishes with a home-heavy schedule. Though, in a season where home teams have won only 60 percent of their conference games, that may not mean much.
This week: Thursday v. UCLA, Sunday v. USC
7. Colorado (16-7, 6-5, Last week: No. 8)
It’s never wise to count out the Buffaloes, mid-game or mid-season. They stormed back to score the last eight points of their thrilling win over the Ducks on Thursday night, which was finished off by junior guard Andre Roberson putting his own miss back in. ESPN says Colorado still has the credentials to make the Tournament if the postseason started today, but that’s a skeptical proposition based on the Buffaloes’ wacky Pac-12 play. A win on Thursday would make their resume less dubious.
This week: Thursday v. Arizona, Saturday v. Arizona State
8. USC (11-13, 6-5, Last week: No. 9)
What sticks out about the way USC plays under interim coach Bob Cantu is the team’s depth. Cantu is using every resource by trotting up to 10 players in each of the Trojans’ games, keeping his best players fresh for crunch time. USC is on a three-game winning streak and looks more and more like a real team since the coaching change. When it comes to winning four games in four days during the Pac-12 Tournament (something Colorado did last season), the Trojans have plenty in reserve to do it.
This week: Thursday at Stanford, Sunday at Cal
9. Washington (13-11, 5-6, Last week: No. 6)
Welcome to the non-contending portion of the rankings. The Huskies don’t usually belong here, but did themselves in by getting swept by the L.A. schools. First it was a buzzer-beating loss Thursday night, then an 11-point defeat by USC when seven Huskies got outlasted by the deeper Trojans. They could have been in the thick of it just like most of their conference counterparts, but this lost weekend likely doomed the Huskies.
This week: Wednesday v. Oregon, Saturday v. Oregon State
10. Oregon State (12-12, 2-9, Last week: No. 12)
The Beavers notched their second Pac-12 win in a victory over the Utes, and barely missed upsetting the Buffaloes this week. Neither result changes their stats as conference cellar-dwellers, though. At this point, Oregon State can only hope the NIT opens it doors to a bevy of Pac-12 teams. The Beavers will need a winning record to get there. If not, pencil Oregon State in for the CBI, a third-tier tournament with a rich Pac-12 history headlined by the Beavers’ championship run in 2009.
This week: Wednesday v. Washington State, Saturday v. Washington
11. Utah (10-13, 2-9 Pac-12, Last week: No. 10)
The Utes can strike when you least expect it, but fail to carry any momentum from their big wins. Utah simply cannot keep up offensively with faster teams, and got sped up in Oregon this week, scoring just 64 points in each game and losing to both schools. The Utes are at their best when they can grind it out, like they did in a 58-55 win over Colorado on Feb. 2.
This week: Wednesday v. Arizona State, Sunday v. Arizona
12. Washington State (11-13, 2-9, Last week: No. 11)
Watching the Cougars play the Bruins last week, it wasn’t clear whether they had any sort of offensive game plan apart from driving and kicking until someone got an open 3-point shot. Washington State hoisted 25 triples for the game and didn’t score a 2-point basket for 16-plus minutes in the first half. The Cougars’ best chance at snapping a four-game losing streak is Wednesday.
This week: Wednesday v. Oregon State, Saturday v. Oregon