1 No. 6 Arizona (20-2, 8-1 Pac-12 Conference)
With a six-game winning streak and three not-so-tough road games coming up, it looks like the Wildcats are the class of the Pac-12 again. Do they need to win out to get a No. 1 seed?
Last week: First, W vs. Oregon 90-56, W vs. Oregon State 57-34
This week: at ASU (11-11, 3-6)
2 No. 11 Utah (17-4, 7-2)
At UCLA, the Utes lost their first game to a team not ranked in the top 10 since November. However, Utah is still light years ahead of the bottom 10 teams.
Last week: Second, L at UCLA 69-59, W at USC 67-39
This week: at Colorado (11-10, 4-5)
3 Stanford (15-6, 6-3)
Last week, the Cardinal showed it’s not yet close to UA and UU. It beat a depleted Washington side by only 10 and lost to Wazzu.
Last week: Third, W at Washington 84-74, L at Washington State 89-88
This week: vs. UCLA (13-9, 5-4), vs. USC (9-12, 1-8)
4 UCLA (13-9, 5-4)
The Bruins’ season has been crazier than a Katy Perry halftime show. They lost five in a row, then won three, lost two and then won two last week.
Last week: Ninth, W vs. Utah 69-59, W vs. Colorado 72-59
This week: at Stanford (15-6, 6-3), at California (13-9, 3-6)
5 Oregon (15-7, 5-4)
This is where the league gets really bad. On the strength of their overtime win at ASU (yes, really), the Ducks get the best of the worst slot.
Last week: Sixth, L at Arizona 90-56, W at ASU 68-67 OT
This week: vs. Washington (14-7, 3-6), vs. Washington State (10-11, 4-5)
6 Washington State (10-11, 4-5)
The Cougars lost four in a row, so normally this would be very high, but welcome to the 2015 Pac-12. Wazzu most recently beat Stanford, and its 4-5 league record is actually pretty respectable.
Last week: Seventh, L vs. California 76-67, W vs. Stanford 89-88
This week: at Oregon State (14-7, 5-4), at Oregon (15-7, 5-4)
7 Oregon State (14-7, 5-4)
While OSU rose to fourth last week, the Beavers got pounded in the desert. Too bad they have to play road games.
Last week: Fourth, L at ASU 73-55, L at Arizona 57-34
This week: vs. Washington State (10-11, 4-5), vs. Washington (14-7, 3-6)
8 Washington (14-7, 3-6)
The Huskies don’t have that bad of an RPI (74), but they’ve lost three in a row. They got swept last week after dismissing Robert Upshaw, who led the nation in blocks.
Last week: Fifth, L vs. Stanford 84-74, L vs. California 90-88
This week: at Oregon (15-7, 5-4), at Oregon State (14-7, 5-4)
9 ASU (11-11, 3-6)
While the Sun Devils started league play 0-4 and their best win is Harvard (RPI No. 81), they’re playing their best ball of the year. They’ve won games each of the last three weeks.
Last week: 10th, W vs. Oregon State 73-55, L vs. Oregon 68-67 OT
This week: vs. No. 6 Arizona (20-2, 8-1)
10 California (13-9, 3-6)
What a difference a week makes. In last week’s power rankings, the Golden Bears looked like they’d be the butt of my jokes until the season ends, but then they swept the Washington schools on the road to end their six-game losing streak.
Last week: 12th, W at Washington State 76-67, W at Washington 90-88
This week: vs. USC (9-12, 1-8), vs. UCLA (13-9, 5-4)
11 Colorado (11-10, 4-5)
Xavier Johnson returned, but the Buffaloes still needed three overtimes to beat a terrible USC team and got smoked at UCLA. CU has lost seven of its last 11.
Last week, Eighth, W at USC 98-94 3OT, L at UCLA 72-59
This week: vs. No. 11 Utah (17-4, 7-2)
12 USC (9-12, 1-8)
The infamous distinction of being the worst team in a terrible conference goes to the Trojans. USC is 161st in the RPI, have zero wins over teams in the RPI top 100.
Last week: 11th, L vs. Colorado 98-94 3OT, L vs. Utah 67-39
This week: at California (13-9, 3-6), at Stanford (15-6, 6-3)
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