With the second week of Pac-12 conference play in the books, Daily Bruin Sports gives its take on which teams are the best and worst in the conference.
1. No. 8 Utah (13-2, 3-0)
Through the early goings of the Pac-12 slate, Utah has proven itself as the conference’s top team thus far. The Utes trot out the league’s second best scoring offense and one of the top defensive units in the nation, allowing just 55.1 points per game. Utah’s two losses came at the hands of ranked opponents, falling to then-No. 16 San Diego State on the road before dropping one to No. 10 Kansas in Kansas City, Mo. by a combined seven points. However, since that loss to the Jayhawks on Dec. 13, the Utes have won six straight games by double figures, and outscore opponents by an average of 20.7 points per game – by far the best margin in the league. A showdown in Tucson, Ariz. against the Wildcats awaits them Saturday.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.
2. No. 10 Arizona (14-2, 2-1)
The Wildcats began the season as the second-ranked team in the nation and have done little to dissuade consideration as one of the country’s top teams. Arizona boasts close victories over a pair of top-25 teams in San Diego State and Gonzaga and won its first 12 games to start the year before losing to UNLV on the road 71-67. After a pair of impressive victories over in-state rival Arizona State and Oregon, to open up conference play, Arizona was shocked on the road by upstart Oregon State on Sunday. Still, the loss should just be a minor setback rather than a harbinger of things to come, as the Wildcats gear up for another high-seeded NCAA tournament berth.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.
3. Colorado (9-6, 2-1)
After entering the season picked to finish third in the Pac-12, the Buffs struggled throughout the nonconference portion of their schedule, losing three games by three points or less and were blown out on the road by Wyoming 56-33. Ball movement is an issue for Colorado’s middling offense as the Buffs average a conference-low 11.8 assists per game and are tied with Washington State for the worst turnover margin in the Pac-12, and as the old adage goes, you don’t want to be tied with Washington State. However, the Buffs are an experienced group led by talented guard Askia Booker (15.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.1 APG) and would do well to get talented big man Josh Scott – who missed two games earlier this month with an injury – back on track.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.
4. Stanford (11-4, 3-1)
The Cardinal barely escaped a two-loss weekend in Southern California by scraping a 78-76 win over USC on Sunday. This close win against a struggling ‘SC team and a loss against a previously slumping UCLA squad may be construed as red flags for a potential Cardinal demise, but Stanford should remain in the top half of these standings based on talent alone. The team has one of the best point guards in the Pac-12 in Chasson Randle and a dynamic 6-foot-6 guard/forward in Anthony Brown who looks destined for the NBA next year.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.
5. Oregon State (11-4, 2-1)
For the time being, the Beavers have asserted themselves as a serious contender for an NCAA tournament berth. For a team that ranked dead last in our preseason power rankings, that is an accomplishment in itself. Coach Wayne Tinkle has really turned this team around in his first year with the program, as the Beavers looked energetic, confident and competent in their 58-56 upset of the then-No. 7 Arizona Wildcats on Sunday night. The question for Oregon State is whether it can sustain the momentum and maintain consistency, particularly on defense. If the Beaver defense remains close to where it’s at now – No. 17 in the country in points allowed per game – look for Oregon State to be a contender.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.
6. UCLA (10-7, 2-2)
After winning eight of its first 10, UCLA’s momentum screeched to a halt as the offense went completely off the rails over the next five games, all losses. While the Bruins rank 264th in the nation in field goal percentage, they appear to have gained some sort of rhythm in their two most recent outings after claiming a come from behind, double-overtime victory over Stanford and besting Cal by 19 on Sunday. A lot of that has to do with two straight spirited defensive performances and a renewed focus on getting the ball inside to junior forward/center Tony Parker and freshman forward Kevon Looney. Depth will remain an issue going forward as UCLA receives little production from its bench. Parker is the only one that averages less than 30 minutes a game.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.
7. Oregon (12-4, 2-1)
Over the past week, the Ducks neither validated nor falsified my declaration of them as a mysterious team (remember, they had to eke out overtime wins against UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine). After last weekend, their legitimacy still deserves to be questioned, as they lost to Arizona by 18 at home and edged out a three-point win over an 8-8 Arizona State squad. Even though the Ducks still have a better overall record than some of the teams ranked ahead of them on this list, I’m just not buying their stock after they’ve gone 0-3 against teams currently ranked in the top 50 of kenpom.com’s advanced basketball rankings.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.
8. Washington (11-4, 0-3)
Since starting the season 11-0, the Huskies have hit a wall, losing four in a row. Through three conference games, they are one of only two Pac-12 teams that still lack a conference win. But even with this stretch of futility, I’m still not ready to render the Huskies a doormat. We have to remember that UCLA also went through a brutal stretch of five losses, but turned it around to win two in a row against the Bay Area schools. Look for Washington to rise back to prominence on the coattails of one of the conference’s most prolific players – sophomore guard Nigel Williams-Goss (14.7 PPG, 6.7 APG, 5.4 RPG).
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.
9. Washington State (8-7, 2-1)
Akin to Oregon State, Washington State is turning heads with the success it’s had early on this year with a new coach. Former Oregon coach Ernie Kent has already guided his new school to half of its conference win total last year, including a notable win at Washington this past week. Unlike Oregon State, however, Washington State still needs a signature upset against a top-25 team if it wants to rise on these power rankings. Right now, the Cougs are lacking one.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.
10. Cal (11-6, 1-3)
The Golden Bears are very similar to the Washington Huskies in how they have hit a wall as of late. After starting the year 10-1, including wins over Syracuse and No. 25 Wyoming, Cal has lost four of its last five. The team’s offense looked stagnant this past week in its losses to both of the Southern California schools. And beyond that, the team looked like it lacked confidence or resolve at the end of its 73-54 loss to UCLA on Sunday. The Golden Bears have some individual talent, but they will need to improve their team chemistry and motivation if they are to rise on this list.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.
11. USC (9-7, 1-3)
The outlook for year two of the Andy Enfield era doesn’t appear much brighter than the former Florida Gulf Coast head man’s first season at USC. While the Trojans remain above .500 for the moment, embarrassing losses blight the schedule. Indeed, the Trojans don’t do much well, as they rank at or near the bottom of the conference in scoring offense and defense, free throw and field goal percentage, assists and field goal defense. While Enfield has brought in talent – freshman Jordan McLaughlin leads the team in points and assists while sophomore Nikola Jovanovic averages 7.9 rebounds a game – it’s still not enough to be competitive in the Pac-12, though a double-digit victory over Cal and a two-point loss to Stanford has to be encouraging.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.
12. Arizona State (8-8, 0-3)
Name a problem and Arizona State probably has it right now. Shaquielle McKissic leads the team in scoring with 11 points per game – good for just 28th in the conference, while Tra Holder is its leading assist man with just 2.5 a game. The Sun Devils have dropped five of their last seven – including three straight to open up conference play. Opposing teams are shooting 42.2 percent against Arizona State – the highest mark in the conference outside Washington State – and one exacerbated by the fact that the Sun Devils turn the ball over more than 309 of the 345 Division-I teams. Yes, Arizona State has a number of close games, which may be encouraging, but a stagnant, impotent offense isn’t.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.