1. Arizona Wildcats (16-2, 4-1) – Sure, that Oregon State loss a few weeks ago wasn’t good for the Wildcats, but the Beavers aren’t exactly a pushover. Arizona proved that they are still the team to beat after a resounding 69-51 victory over Utah on Saturday that followed a 68-54 drubbing of Colorado earlier in the week. (Next up this week: Stanford, California.)
2. Utah Utes (14-3, 4-1) – That Arizona loss was humbling for the Utes. Being out-rebounded 40-19 isn’t going to win you many games against anyone, let alone the best team in the conference. Utah was over matched in every aspect on the floor on Saturday, and will look to regroup this week against some lesser competition. (Next up this week: Washington State, Washington.)
3. Stanford Cardinal (13-4, 4-1) – The Cardinal’s easy wins last week over Cal and Connecticut were rather welcomed after a stretch of three games that were incredibly close, including two overtime decisions. The loss of freshman starter Reid Travis was certainly a factor in those games, but Stanford has since made some necessary adjustments in the rotation to fill his spot and seem poised for the grind run in conference play. They have a big opportunity to make a statement on Thursday against Arizona. (Next up this week: Arizona, Arizona State.)
4. UCLA Bruins (11-7, 3-2) – The Bruins have gone 3-0 since their miserable five game losing streak. Last week’s win against USC is nothing to brag about, but bad teams are supposed to be beaten soundly, which the Bruins did by a score of 83-66. UCLA is out-rebounding opponents by an average of 13.7 per game currently, and stand a good chance to extend their winning streak to five by the time they get their opportunity to redeem their 32-point loss to Utah back on Jan 4th. when they host the Utes on Jan. 29th. (Next up this week: Oregon State, Oregon.)
5. Washington Huskies (13-4, 2-3) – Washington pulled of the sweep of the state of Oregon last week for their first two conference wins of the season. The Huskies four-game losing streak prior saw them lose by no more than eight points in the stretch, and it appears that they are back on track as well. Having the nation’s leading shot blocker in Robert Upshaw (4.5 BPG) definitely helps their cause. (Next up this week: Colorado, Utah.)
6. Oregon State Beavers (12-5, 3-2) – The Beavers followed up their huge upset of Arizona on Jan. 11th by splitting games with Washington and Washington State. The matchup with the Huskies provided some excitement with NBA legends and former Supersonics teammates Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp in the stands to watch their two sons go against each other for the first time. Washington got the better of Oregon State in that one by a score of 56-43. The Beavers had a much better offensive output on Saturday against Washington State in their 62-47 victory. Gary Payton II bounced back from a bad performance against the Huskies to lead the way with 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Beavers. (Next up this week: UCLA, USC.)
7. Colorado Buffaloes (9-8, 2-3) – Things didn’t go so well for the Buffs last week, losing 68-54 to Arizona and 78-72 to Arizona State. The team seems yet to recover from the 74-49 thumping at the hands of Utah back on Jan. 7th, and much of that can be contributed to injuries to both Josh Scott and Xavier Johnson. They are both listed as day-to-day and will provide a big boost to a CU team that is still 8-1 at home this season when they return. (Next up this week: Washington, Washington State)
8. Washington State Cougars (9-8, 3-2) – If the overtime win on Thursday against Oregon wasn’t all that impressive, then the 15-point loss to Oregon State on Saturday definitely wasn’t. This team needs to learn to play some defense if they want to stay above .500 in the conference. (Next up this week: Utah, Colorado.)
9. Oregon Ducks (12-6, 2-3) – The Ducks rank 13th nationally in blocks per game, and 15th nationally in rebounds allowed, yet are still allowing opponents to score 70.9 per game on them. That number wasn’t helped by the fact that Oregon gave up totals of 108 and 85 last week in their losses to Washington and Washington State. Joseph Young can only carry this team so far. (Next up this week: USC, UCLA.)
10. California Golden Bears (11-7, 1-4) – Cuonzo Martin’s lineup changes have yet to produce a win, as Cal hasn’t won a game since Jan. 2nd. They stand a good chance to break the losing streak on Thursday against Arizona State. (Next up this week: Arizona State, Arizona.)
11. USC Trojans (9-8, 1-4) – The Trojans solid effort against Stanford on Jan. 11th was effectively wiped out by an 83-66 loss last week to UCLA. The Trojans performed well enough on offense, but simply couldn’t hold UCLA, as the Bruins shot 56 percent from the field. (Next up this week: Oregon, Oregon State.)
12. Arizona State Sun Devils (9-9, 1-4) – The Sun Devils finally got a conference victory by defeating a shorthanded Colorado team at home on Saturday. The Sun Devils don’t have a whole lot going for them this season, but they do have this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdMqWin9pHg
Colorado went 10-of-17 from the line in the losing effort. Maybe they are on to something down in the desert. (Next up this week: Cal, Stanford.)
