Cats top Pac-12 Power Rankings

1. Arizona (8-0 in conference, 19-2 overall) The return of Allonzo Trier against UCLA proved to be the spark the Wildcats needed. An impressive victory at Pauley last Saturday throws the Cats into the top spot this week. They had a tough time against the Cougs on Thursday but pulled out the win. They get a young, defenseless Husky team on Sunday.

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2. Oregon (8-0, 19-2) Oregon gets the second spot due to Dillon Brooks’ acting job on Thursday. Despite that, the Ducks are a well-balanced attack and will be a threat in March.

3. UCLA (6-3, 19-3) The Bruins have fallen on hard times. A lack of defense has hurt UCLA in the past two games against Arizona and USC. Yet, Vegas still likes the Bruins as a 3-1 favorite to win it all. Of course, the below is for purely entertainment purposes.

4. Cal (5-3, 14-6) This is the part of the conference where teams 4-9 are interchangeable. Cal gets Stanford this week and then play the Rocky Mountain schools next week in what can propel the Bears into the top tier of this conference or have them settle in the middle.

5. Utah (5-3, 14-6) A tough home loss for the Utes on Thursday night as they fell to the Ducks. The Utes look like a possible tourney team but the Oregon game could have provided them with a solid win.

6. USC (5-4, 18-4) The Trojans took care of UCLA on Wednesday in an RPI-builder. Rainier Beach alum Shaqquan Aaron came off the bench to lead SC with 23 against the crosstown rivals. They have the Washington schools next week and hope to accumulate Ws to boost their resume.

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7. Stanford (3-5, 11-9) After a 3-game win streak, the Cardinal were brought back down to Earth by Oregon. They get the Golden Bears this weekend in a game that could turn the season for each.

8. Arizona State (3-5, 10-11) The Sun Devils put away the Huskies on Wednesday night and have a chance to throw themselves back into relevancy with a win against the Cougs this weekend and then hoping for a split in Oregon next week.

9. Washington State (3-5, 10-10) Are the Cougs actually playing well or was WSU’s hanging in the game against U of A a mirage? A win against ASU would be a big boost for Ernesto’s team.

10. Colorado (1-7, 11-10) The Buffs win! The Buffs win! Beating Oregon State doesn’t help an RPI, but gives the underachieving team confidence.

11. Washington (2-6, 9-11) Markelle Fultz is good. The rest of the team is not. A loss in Tempe almost ensures a desert sweep as the Dawgs get a surging Arizona team Sunday.

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12. Oregon State (4-17, 0-8) At this point you have to wonder when the Beavers can win a game in the conference. They are without Cheikh N’diaye and Tres Trinkle indefinitely. Could we see this team go 0-16?