Pac-12 basketball power ratings: Arizona on top, UCLA climbs after narrow loss to Marquette, UW rises
The Huskies beat Xavier and pushed San Diego State to the brink during a scintillating 80 minutes
The Pac-12’s non-conference record is steadily deteriorating, which is unsurprising given the increased competition but still represents a mounting challenge.
To date, the conference is 39-14, for a 73.5 percent winning percentage. This is higher than the 70% mark that has historically translated to success with NCAA Tournament bids and seeds.
However, with a slew of top-tier opponents on the horizon, the 12 teams will be hard-pressed to keep their win rate above the threshold.
The outcomes of several high-profile clashes over the Thanksgiving holiday will be crucial.
In terms of power ratings…
1. Arizona (5-0)
Last week: 1 Results: beat Belmont 100-68, beat UT Arlington 101-56 Next up: vs. Michigan State (Thursday) Comment: The Wildcats have three 100-point games and are averaging 99.6 points per game, ranking third in the country behind Eastern Kentucky and Alabama. There is no other Pac-12 team in the 90s.
2. UCLA (4-1)
Last week: 3 Results: lost to Marquette 71-69, beat Chaminade 76-48 Next up: vs. Gonzaga (Wednesday) Comment: We consider a two-point loss to Marquette on a neutral court (in Maui) to be a win for Mick Cronin’s rebuilt team. The Golden Eagles are one of the best in the country after defeating Kansas.
3. Colorado (4-1)
Last week: 2 Results: beat Richmond 64-59, lost to Florida State 77-71 Next up: vs. Iona (Sunday) Comment: If Florida State does well in the ACC, Colorado’s resume will not suffer. If the Seminoles struggle again this season, it could be a problem for CU.
4. Oregon (4-0)
Last week: 4 Results: beat Tennessee State 92-67, beat Florida A&M 67-54 Next up: vs. Santa Clara (Friday) Comment: Beware the Broncos. That’s our only comment. Beware. The. Broncos.
5. USC (3-1)
Last week: 6 Results: beat Brown 81-70 Next up: vs. Seton Hall (Thursday) Comment: From Thanksgiving to Christmas, the schedule becomes significantly more difficult with Seton Hall, Iowa (or Oklahoma), Gonzaga, and Auburn.
6. Arizona State (2-1)
Last week: 5 Results: DNP Next up: vs. Brigham Young (Thursday) Comment: The schedule gave the Sun Devils a full week to prepare for BYU, which they will need: The Cougars are undefeated after defeating San Diego State.
7. Utah (3-2)
Last week: 7 Results: lost to Houston 76-66, lost to St. John’s 91-82 Next up: at Saint Mary’s (Monday) Comment: A fairly robust non-conference schedule still includes two difficult games (SMC and BYU). To carry a quality victory into conference play, the Utes must win at least one of the two. (Wake Forest isn’t one of them.)
8. Washington (3-2)
Last week: 10 Results: beat Xavier 74-71, lost to San Diego State 100-97 Next up: vs. UC San Diego (Tuesday) Comment: A three-point win over Xavier and a three-point loss to SDSU total 80 minutes of quality play — and hope for a successful season — for a program desperate for momentum.
9. Washington State (3-1)
Last week: 8 Results: lost to Mississippi State 76-64, beat Rhode Island 78-57 Next up: vs. Utah Tech (Friday) Comment: If the Cougars finish non-conference play with a record worse than 8-3, something has gone horribly wrong.
10. Stanford (3-1)
Last week: 9 Results: beat Eastern Washington 95-70 Next up: vs. Arkansas (Wednesday) Comment: In recent years, Stanford has underperformed against power conference opponents. Will it be any different this season? By the end of the week, we’ll know.
11. Oregon State (3-1)
Last week: 11 Results: lost to Nebraska 84-63 Next up: vs. Baylor (Wednesday) Comment: We calculated the ramifications of a 21-point loss to Nebraska against Baylor, and it’s not pretty.
12. Cal (2-3)
Last week: 12 Results: lost to UTEP 75-72 Next up: vs. Tulane (Wednesday) Comment: The rebuilding Bears have been responsible for 21% of the Pac-12’s losses so far. Expect the scale to continue tilting in that direction.
