The Student News Site of University of Arizona

The Daily Wildcat

86° Tucson, AZ

The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat

 

Pac-12 power rankings: Consistency is hard to come by

Tyler+Baker%2F+The+Daily+Wildcat%0A%0AFreshman+forward+Rondae+hollis-Jefferson+dribbles+the+ball+down+court+during+Arizonas+91-68+win+over+ASU+Thursday%2C+Jan.+16.
Tyler Baker/ The Daily Wildcat Freshman forward Rondae hollis-Jefferson dribbles the ball down court during Arizona’s 91-68 win over ASU Thursday, Jan. 16.

1. No.1 Arizona (18-0, 5-0 Pac-12) Last Week: 1
One win away from tying the longest winning streak in school history, the Wildcats have been one of the few consistent teams in a conference that has so far been an overall disappointment.

2. California (14-4, 5-0) LW: 4
The Golden Bears keep chugging along. However, California will have a test this Sunday as they travel to UCLA to face an offensive-minded UCLA school. A road win over the Bruins would solidify Cal as the second best team in the Pac-12.

3. UCLA (14-4, 3-2) LW: 2
Poor defense has been the Achilles’ heel for the Bruins who score on average 84.4 points per game. After a disappointing road loss to a hot Utah school, UCLA has the opportunity to rebound with Stanford and California coming to town this weekend.

4. Colorado (15-4, 4-2) LW: 5
Since losing Spencer Dinwiddie for the season on Jan. 12 to a knee injury the Buffaloes are 0-2. Colorado is still talented enough to make the NCAA tournament but it will take time for them to learn to play without their starting point guard.

5. Oregon (13-4, 1-4) LW: 3
No one in the conference is colder than the Ducks. After barely sneaking by Utah in the conference opener on Jan. 2 Oregon has loss four straight games, including most recently to its rival Oregon State. Doubt has to be creeping into the Ducks’ mind.

6. Stanford (12-5, 3-2) LW: 7
The Cardinal have been a pleasant surprise. They can make serious noise with a win tonight at UCLA.

7. Utah (14-4, 3-3) LW: 9
The Utes are no longer a joke. They have arguably the best offense in the conference. But Utah has yet to win a road game, going 0-3. That doesn’t mean they’ll be a easy win for the Wildcats on Sunday, junior Delon Wright is making a strong push for conference player of the year.

8. Washington (11-8, 3-3) LW: 6
Size matters, which is bad news for the Huskies who have serious problems in that department. One of the worst rebounding schools in the country, Washington is trending down.

9. Oregon State (10-7, 2-3) LW: 11
The Beavers are another team with a rebounding problem. But a consistent offense has kept Oregon State in close games. OSU can easily win its next three games, but head coach Craig Robinson is still on the hot seat.

10. Washington State (8-8, 1-3) LW: 10
Recruiting in eastern Washington is not easy. There’s something about the snow and vast open land that doesn’t appeal to recruits. The Cougars are making best with what they have.

11. ASU (13-5, 2-3) LW: 8
Sun Devils’ point guard Jahii Carson is a future NBA star. This season in every ASU game he will be the most athletic player on the court.

12. USC (9-9, 0-5) LW: 12
Lucky for Trojan fans spring football camp starts in a couple months.

—Follow Luke Della @LukeDella

More to Discover
Activate Search