As week 6 of the 2023-24 season rolls around, Drew VonScio gives his Pac-12 power rankings.
Matchup of the Week: #3 Purdue vs. #1 Arizona (Dec. 16 – 4:30 p.m.)
Sneaky Good Matchups of the Week: TCU vs. Arizona State (Dec. 16 – 9 p.m.) and Syracuse vs. Oregon (Dec. 17 – 1 p.m.)
All games listed are EST.
1. Arizona Wildcats
Last Week’s Ranking: 1
Record: 8-0 (0-0)
Last Week: W vs. Wisconsin (98-73)
Next Week: at #3 Purdue (Dec. 16 – 4:30 p.m.)
Quality Wins: Duke, Wisconsin, Michigan State
Bad Losses: N/A
Arizona continues to be the best team by far in the Pac-12 and in contention for the best team in the country. Through eight games, the Wildcats have four wins on their resume against teams that are vying for spots in March Madness. Arizona found a way to post the most points against Wisconsin for the first time in almost 30 years as the Badgers had no answer for the Wildcats’ offense. Shooting over 55% from the field against a ranked opponent will certainly turn some heads, and that’s what Arizona did the whole game. This team is going to be tough to beat all season long.
2. Colorado Buffaloes
Last Week’s Ranking: 2
Record: 7-2 (0-0)
Last Week: W vs Miami (90-63)
Next Week: vs Northern Colorado (Dec. 15 – 8 p.m.)
Quality Wins: Miami
Bad Losses: N/A
Colorado picked up its first quality win of the season over Miami fueled by a dominant second-half performance of scoring 53 and giving up just 27. The Buffaloes shot a whopping 70% from the field in the second half, going 21-30, and 50% from three in the second frame. Tristan da Silva and KJ Simpson both posted 20+ points for Colorado as da Silva reached the double-double mark. Miami had trouble stopping the big guys down low as the Buffaloes recorded 52 points in the paint. This Colorado group has some weaknesses, but it is shaping up to be the second-best team in the Pac-12.
3. Oregon Ducks
Last Week’s Ranking: 6
Record: 6-2 (0-0)
Last Week: W vs UTEP (71-49)
Next Week: vs California Baptist (Dec. 12 – 10 p.m.), vs Syracuse (Dec. 17 – 1 p.m.)
Quality Wins: Michigan
Bad Losses: N/A
Beating UTEP wasn’t necessarily worthy of moving Oregon up in the rankings, but other losses around the conference certainly strengthened its case. The Ducks were much stronger in the second half than they were in the first as they went 0-6 from behind the arc and could have easily put the game to bed by halftime. Instead, it took a regrouping in the locker room to seal the deal. UTEP had just two players in double digits as the Ducks locked in down defensively and forced 18 turnovers. Oregon turned that into 29 points of their own, showing it is a strong competitor this season as well.
4. Washington State Cougars
Last Week’s Ranking: 5
Record: 8-1 (0-0)
Last Week: W vs UC Riverside (86-49), W vs Grambling State (83-65)
Next Week: vs Santa Clara (Dec. 16 – 2 p.m.)
Quality Wins: N/A
Bad Losses: N/A
Washington State produced another 2-0 week with wins over UC Riverside and Grambling State, both teams they were expected to beat. Against UC Riverside, the Cougars dominated from start to finish as they held Riverside to under 50 points. Only one player posted over 10 points for the Highlanders. Washington State benefitted from 48 points in the paint as well. Against Grambling State, the Cougars shot over 50% from the field and significantly out-rebounded Grambling State. Washington State could really benefit from playing some stronger competition, but that will have to wait until Pac-12 play starts.
5. Washington Huskies
Last Week’s Ranking: 8
Record: 6-3 (0-0)
Last Week: W vs Montana State (85-61), W vs Gonzaga (78-73)
Next Week: vs Seattle (Dec. 17 – 8 p.m.)
Quality Wins: Xavier, Gonzaga
Bad Losses: N/A
The Huskies picked up another quality win with a strong performance over Gonzaga. Not that being Montana State shouldn’t be celebrated, but the story of the week for Washington is knocking off the seventh ranked team in the country. The Bulldogs held a six-point lead heading into the half, but the Huskies’ strong defense limited Gonzaga to just 25 points in the second half. It was Keion Brooks Jr and Sahvir Wheeler who led Washington this week once again, showing this dynamic duo is going to be menace to the Pac-12 all winter long. Washington is slowly building its case to at least be a lock for the NIT.
6. Utah Utes
Last Week’s Ranking: 7
Record: 7-2 (0-0)
Last Week: W vs Southern Utah (88-86), W vs BYU (73-69)
Next Week: vs Utah Valley (Dec. 16 – 4 p.m.)
Quality Wins: Saint Mary’s, BYU
Bad Losses: N/A
Utah is making a statement of its own with a pair of wins and one against an undefeated and ranked BYU team. Against Southern Utah, the defense was questionable as the Thunderbirds were able to post 40+ points in both halves and give the Utes a run for their money. Ben Carlson and Rollie Worster had double-doubles in that win. Against BYU, Gabe Madsen led the team with 17 points as the Utes shot 48.1% from the field compared to just 36.6% from the Cougars. While it was gritty, wins like that will give Utah a case for postseason aspirations if that level of play continues.
7. UCLA Bruins
Last Week’s Ranking: 4
Record: 5-3 (0-0)
Last Week: L at Villanova (65-56)
Next Week: vs Ohio State (Dec. 16 – 3 p.m.)
Quality Wins: N/A
Bad Losses: N/A
UCLA had a slow day offensively against Villanova while the Wildcats found a way to post 40 points in the second half. The Bruins shot just 31% from the field in the second half, including 2-9 from three, which hindered their ability to produce points consistently. Villanova also found a way to out-rebound UCLA, with the strong majority of the difference coming from offensive rebounds. Allowing a team like Villanova extra time with the basketball isn’t a good recipe for success. Mick Cronin should focus more on coaching his guys how to box out and score points instead of throwing his players under the bus in postgame press conferences.
8. USC Trojans
Last Week’s Ranking: 3
Record: 5-4 (0-0)
Last Week: L vs Long Beach State (84-79)
Next Week: at Auburn (Dec. 17 – 1 p.m.)
Quality Wins: Kansas State
Bad Losses: UC Irvine, Long Beach State
Isaiah Collier showed why he is already projecting to be a top-five pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The freshman guard continues to score points with ease and play strong defense even though the latter seems to be a bit of a challenge for some of his teammates. Bronny James made his USC debut and will aim to provide a spark later in the season, but Long Beach State was able to force 19 turnovers on USC, something that that Trojans have to do better. Shooting 7-31 from behind the arc over 45 minutes of play isn’t a recipe for success either, and USC needs to bounce back on Sunday against Auburn.
9. Arizona State Sun Devils
Last Week’s Ranking: 10
Record: 6-3 (0-0)
Last Week: W vs SMU (76-74), L vs San Diego (89-84)
Next Week: vs TCU (Dec. 16 – 10 p.m.)
Quality Wins: N/A
Bad Losses: N/A
Arizona State continues its strong start to the season despite having a young squad. This group found a way to pull off a gritty win against the Mustangs as SMU did everything it could to win that game in the late stages. Even without shooting as well as the Mustangs, the Sun Devils found a way to win, and that’s all you can ask for from them. The Sun Devils took care of the basketball as well with just eight turnovers. This might not be a group that makes the postseason this year outside of the Pac-12 tournament, but the future looks to be bright for Arizona State.
10. Oregon State Beavers
Last Week’s Ranking: 11
Record: 6-3 (0-0)
Last Week: W vs Cal Poly (70-63 2OT), W vs Utah Valley (74-71)
Next Week: vs UTSA (Dec. 17 – 3 p.m.)
Quality Wins: N/A
Bad Losses: N/A
Oregon State needed an extra 10 minutes of basketball to knock off Cal Poly, thanks in part due to the Mustangs lack of successful three-point shooting. The Beavers were the beneficiary of Cal Poly not being able to take advantage of turnovers as much as it should have and could’ve made a difference. Against Utah Valley, the turnovers decreased and the shooting for the Beavers improved greatly. Michael Rataj stepped up this week for Oregon State as he averaged 17.5 points per game. If the Beavers can find a way to win move convincingly against mid-majors, they could have a chance to move up the rankings.
11. Stanford Cardinal
Last Week’s Ranking: 10
Record: 4-4 (0-0)
Last Week: N/A
Next Week: vs Idaho (Dec. 17 – 5 p.m.)
Quality Wins: N/A
Bad Losses: Santa Clara, UNI
Stanford didn’t have any games this week, and it was probably good for the team to be able to reset. The Cardinal needed the time to regroup even after their 24-point win against San Diego on December 3. Stanford has still found a way to outscore its opponents, but it is being outrebounded by about three rebounds per game. Turnovers haven’t benefitted Stanford either as it is almost breaking even with its opponents. One area that the Cardinal have excelled is assists as they average 18.4 assists per game showing this group can find ways to make the perfect pass. Stanford needs to regroup this week ahead of the matchup against Idaho.
12. California Golden Bears
Last Week’s Ranking: 12
Record: 3-6 (0-0)
Last Week: L at Butler (97-90 2OT)
Next Week: vs Ole Miss (Dec. 16 – 7:30 p.m.)
Quality Wins: Santa Clara
Bad Losses: N/A
Fardaws Aimaq had an incredible game for the Golden Bears with 24 points and 16 rebounds, but it still wasn’t enough for Cal against Butler. The Bulldogs shot slightly better from the field, but the Golden Bears struggled to defend the paint; Butler scored 52 of its 97 points down low. Cal’s defense and ball handling need to significantly improve going forward as it’s hard to win giving up that many points and turning the ball over 18 times. However, the Golden Bears are a very young team, and these are growing pains that will frustrate everyone involved until they get ironed out.