With the penultimate week of the Pac-12 men’s basketball regular season upon us, Daily Bruin Sports delivers a new installment of its Pac-12 power rankings.
1. No. 7 Arizona (24-3, 12-2) (Last week: 1)
A 30-point win over USC is hardly worth talking about – that’s just business as usual for Arizona. Struggling against a desperate UCLA team for large portions of Saturday’s contest is. Fans in the McKale Center Saturday were by and large not pleased with their team’s play, as the starting five mustered just 30 points on 25 percent shooting. If it wasn’t for rarely used freshman center Dusan Ristic’s 12 points on 4-4 shooting – talk about unlikeliest of heroes – the game certainly could’ve gone the other way. Still, the Wildcats ended up with yet another double-digit win, so fans can’t be too mad, can they? Still, there are definite concerns that Arizona won’t last long in March if it repeats this kind of performance.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.
2. No. 13 Utah (21-5, 11-3) (Last week: 2)
So, Utah and Oregon State combined for a low-scoring, defensive battle in which a combined 84 points total were scored. Who would’ve guessed it? What was a bit of a shock was Oregon pulling off the upset in Eugene, Ore., three days later. The Utes shot just 36.5 percent from the field against the Ducks – including a 8-29 effort from beyond the arc – in what was an off night for one of the Pac-12’s best shooting teams. Despite the loss, Utah still has a shot at the regular season conference crown if it can get past Arizona this Saturday.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.
3. Oregon (20-8, 10-5) (Last week: 4)
It finally happened this past Sunday. Oregon, which had gone 0-4 against teams ranked in kenpom.com’s top 40, picked up its first signature win, defeating Utah 69-58 in Eugene, Ore. I’ve given the Ducks a hard time for flopping in big games this year, but they certainly silenced me with their performance against the Utes. Oregon held Utah – a team that ranks No. 13 in the nation with a 49 percent field goal percentage – to 36.5 percent shooting. That’s a benchmark performance for an Oregon team that has been troubled by its defense all year long. I doubt the Ducks can replicate this type of defense consistently, however.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.
4. UCLA (16-12, 8-7) (Last week: 3)
Steve Alford’s bunch can’t settle for moral victories – particularly when it’s so desperate for actual ones – but hanging with No. 7 Arizona on its home floor for about 38 minutes was impressive. Even more so was the 17-0 run to start the second half. But the Bruins couldn’t maintain that pace – nor any momentum they had seemingly built by winning five of six before their trip to the Grand Canyon state. What hurts even more is that UCLA had arguably its best defensive game of the year, holding Arizona to 57 points on 34 percent shooting, but still lost by 10. If UCLA received even below-average production from junior forward/center Tony Parker over the weekend, it might be sitting on 18 wins and in third place in the Pac-12. Instead, Parker delivered four points and two consecutive foul-outs. UCLA was outrebounded a combined 79-50 against Arizona and Arizona State and hauled in just one offensive rebound against the Wildcats.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.
5. Stanford (17-9, 8-6) (Last week: 6)
The Cardinal notched a win against their Bay Area rival this past week, but that doesn’t help their postseason prospects too much. Stanford has become the new Oregon in the Pac-12, as it is now the team that has a solid record but no standout wins to validate it. Yes, Stanford did beat a once-ranked Texas team, but that win is over two months old now, and doesn’t overshadow the Cardinal’s 0-4 record against teams in the RPI top 50 since then. The Cardinal possess quality guard play and strong rebounding, but until they put up a winning performance against a decent team, they will remain stagnant amid these rankings.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.
6. Arizona State (15-12, 7-7) (Last week: 8)
Don’t look now, but Arizona State is just a game back of fourth place in the conference after taking down both UCLA and USC. The Sun Devils absolutely dominated the Bruins inside, came back from 10 points down to defeat the Trojans and now have won four of their last five to finally get a couple of games above .500. With remaining games against Utah, Colorado, Stanford and Cal, it’s not unreasonable to think Arizona State will stay that way – or even make a run at a first-round bye in the conference tournament. Not bad for a team that lost its first four games to start Pac-12 play.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.
7. Oregon State (17-10, 8-7) (Last week: 7)
Earlier this season, I claimed Oregon State would remain an NCAA tournament contender as long as the team maintained its stifling defense. Turns out I was wrong, as the Beavers offense is sometimes so futile, it doesn’t matter how well their defense plays. Case in point would be OSU’s game against Utah this past week. The Beavers had a prime chance to notch a benchmark win, and their defense did everything it could to make sure that opportunity was seized. Oregon State held Utah 26 points below its season scoring average, but it wasn’t enough, as the Utes won the defensive struggle 47-37. The Beavers’ dam is certainly fortified, but they need to find some more net if they are to thrive in March.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.
8. Cal (16-11, 6-8) (Last week: 5)
Well, the last of the fuses that once sparked Cal’s five-game win streak officially fizzled out in Stanford this past Saturday. The Bears lost by double digits to their Bay Area rival for the second time this season, and reverted back to playing like the Cal team that lost six of its first seven games to start Pac-12 play. The Bears did show some fight in the second half, but their resilient effort wasn’t enough to overcome a lousy first-half performance that gave the Cardinal a 12-point halftime advantage. Cal’s only chance to make the NCAA tournament now lies in the Pac-12 tournament, where the Bears will need to embark on another sudden win streak.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.
9. Colorado (12-14, 5-9) (Last week: 9)
Colorado finally fell below .500 after getting dismantled by both Oregon and Oregon State. The Buffs shot a combined 40-114 during the road trip and turned the ball over 38 times – including 22 against the Beavers alone. Some would say that’s not good offense. The pair of double-digit losses makes that six total in conference play, including four of the last five defeats. In all likelihood No. 7 Arizona will make that five of the last six when it visits Colorado Thursday before Arizona State gets its turn in what will be the Buffs’ final game at the Coors Events Center this year.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.
10. Washington (15-11, 4-10) (Last week: 11)
It’s never a good sign when a win over Washington State is the highlight of your month, but such was the case for Washington this past weekend. The Huskies squeaked by their in-state rival with an 87-84 win thanks to a clutch 3-pointer by junior guard Andrew Andrews in the final seconds. It’s unclear whether the Washington players celebrated on the court after the game because they beat their rival or because they snapped their seven-game losing streak. Perhaps they were celebrating their inevitable rise in this week’s rankings. That’s about as far as I’ll go in this section.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.
11. Washington State (11-15, 5-9) (Last week: 10)
The Cougars’ infamous defense conspired to derail them once again this past weekend, allowing 87 points to a Washington Huskies team that’s averaging 69.8 on the year. Further adding to the disappointment of Washington State’s loss was the falloff of redshirt senior guard Dexter Kernich-Drew, who had scored 18 or more in each of his previous three games. It looked as if the 6-foot-7-inch swingman was finally emerging into a premier scorer for the Cougars at the twilight of his collegiate career, but against the Huskies, he reverted back to the pedestrian numbers that defined the first three-and-a-half years of his career. Though he started and played 27 minutes, Kernich-Drew only scored six points on 2-5 shooting. Seems like Washington State’s Halley’s Comet has come and gone.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.
12. USC (10-17, 2-13) (Last week: 12)
Well, at least it’s almost over. In getting swept by the Arizona schools this past weekend, the Trojans all but guaranteed they will once again finish dead last in the conference for the second time in two years under coach Andy Enfield. While the loss to Arizona – in both result and manner – wasn’t wholly unexpected, the one to Arizona State had to be discouraging. The Sun Devils outscored the Trojans 23-8 over the final 9:43 of play and turned the ball over five times in that stretch. Washington and Washington State come to town for the final home stand of the year.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.