1. UCLA- Lonzo Ball has been balling out so far for the undefeated Bruins. If they can defeat Kentucky on Saturday, we still might not even know if they are for real. UCLA beat Kentucky and then missed the tournament last year.
2. Arizona- Having only eight players receive minutes can really tire out your team. If only Lauri Markkanen could play the whole game, then the Wildcats would not have to worry.
3. Oregon- Dillon Brooks is back from his foot injury and is shooting poorly like all of Oregon’s wing players. Tyler Dorsey is the only one shooting above 40 percent from the field, which is bad, not good.
4. USC- The Trojans are picking up votes in the AP Poll and could make their way into the top-25 fairly soon. UCLA may be the Pac-12 darling at the moment, but its crosstown rival is certainly flying under the radar.
5. Colorado- The Buffaloes face Colorado State and Portland before a tough matchup with No. 7 Xavier at home next week. Their football team has already shocked the Pac-12, so why can’t their basketball team do the same?
6. Utah- Butler is on a mission of Pac-12 demolition after it beat Utah. Maybe replacing the conference Player of the Year is not an easy task? The Utes should still be a solid team come tournament time, however.
7. California- The Golden Bears have what looks like an easy schedule before facing No. 6 Virginia at home near the end of December. Just like last year, the Golden Bears will likely fluctuate in and out of the top-25 all season.
8. Stanford- Football season is coming to an end, so Nerd Nation must eventually turn to basketball. And by basketball, I mean the Golden State Warriors because why would you watch the Cardinal?
9. Washington- Markelle Fultz is averaging 23 points, five rebounds and six assists per game for a 4-2 Huskies team. Watching Washington implement the “pass the ball to Will” offense is must-see basketball.
10. ASU- To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Kentucky demolished the Sun Devils. The fact they went through with that game is either brave or irrational on their part. They still have potential to be a Cinderella NIT squad.
11. Washington State- With the injury to Oregon State forward Tres Tinkle, Washington State might not end up being the worst team in the conference. The Cougars won one conference game, so this year’s goal of two conference wins is much more attainable now.
12. Oregon State- Tres Tinkle could miss two months, so the Beavers’ season might already be over. Oregon State might not make another tourney bid until another Gary Payton comes to the program. The last time the Beavers made the tournament without a Payton was back in 1985. The No. 1 song in America was “Can’t Fight the Feeling” by REO Speedwagon and Michael Jordan was a rookie.
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