Pac-12 Power Rankings: Week Four
Posted by Connor Pelton on December 5th, 2011Here’s a look at the power rankings that Drew and I have compiled after the fourth week of Pac-12 games. Here we go!
1. Stanford, 8-1: You couldn’t have asked for a better week if you’re a Cardinal fan. Stanford won the three games they played in by a combined 67 points, which included a dominating performance on the road against Seattle and a résumé building win against NC State. They now have a great chance of finishing non-conference play 11-1, but they will have to get past a talented Butler team in order to achieve that. Stanford now will take a 13-day break for finals and some extra rest. Up Next: 12.17 vs. San Diego
Guard Aaron Bright leads the cheers on the Stanford sideline. (credit: Bob Drebin)
2. Oregon State, 6-1: The Beavers only played one game this week and they waited until Sunday to do it. However, the wait was worth it, as the Beavers dominated Montana, 71-46. Just to show you how far OSU has come in a year, Montana defeated Oregon State by five in last December’s meeting. Up Next: 12.9 vs. Idaho
3. Arizona, 6-2: Two mid-majors, two wins for the Wildcats. They started off the week on Tuesday with a closer-than-comfort win over New Mexico State, then closed out the week with a 14-point win over in-state rival Northern Arizona. The Wildcats will now begin a brutal four-game stretch that includes opponents like Florida, Gonzaga, and Oakland. Up Next: 12.7 @ Florida
4. California, 6-2: It wasn’t a terrible week for California, but it could have been a lot better. After destroying McNeese State to open up the week, the Golden Bears lost a heartbreaker at San Diego State yesterday. It would have been an instant classic, but San Diego State would eventually outlast the Bears, 64-63. Up Next: 12.7 vs. San Jose State
5. Oregon, 4-2: The Ducks had a rough week despite their 1-1 record. Their win over UTEP was only by five points, and contrary to what CSN announcer Jordan Kent said after the game, any win is not necessarily a good win in the eyes of the selection committee. Oregon had a chance to make up for the bad game with an upset of BYU in Salt Lake City, but the Ducks went ice cold in the second half and fell, 79-65. Up Next: 12.10 vs. Fresno State
6. Washington, 4-2: It’s time to panic in Seattle. A 13-point loss at Saint Louis is one thing, but no matter how young and inexperienced a team is, you can’t lose to Nevada. It will most likely just get worse before it gets better for Washington, as the Huskies face Marquette, Duke, and UC Santa Barbara in their next three games. Up Next: 12.6 vs. Marquette in New York City
7. Colorado, 4-3: Just when you though the Buffaloes were getting it going after knocking off Georgia, they went into Fort Collins and fall by one to in-state rival Colorado State. Utah transfer Carlon Brown continues to impress, averaging 9.5 points in the two games. Up Next: 12.7 vs. Fresno State
8. USC, 4-5: It was a mixed week for the inconsistent Trojans. They started it off with a solid victory at UC Riverside, which is more than Washington State can say. Things weren’t so good for them on Saturday in Minneapolis, where Minnesota blew out the Trojans for a 55-40 loss. Up Next: 12.10 vs. New Mexico
9. Washington State, 4-4: The Cougars got back to .500 after two blowout wins this week. On Wednesday they knocked off Grambling State by 32, then came back on Saturday afternoon to beat Eastern Washington by 26. Up Next: 12.7 @ Idaho
10. Arizona State, 3-4: Tulsa isn’t by any means a good basketball team, but a win over the Golden Hurricane on the road is huge for a struggling team’s confidence. If the Devils can get back to .500 with a win over Nevada on Wednesday, watch out for them heading into conference play. Up Next: 12.7 vs. Nevada
11. UCLA, 2-5: Hey! The Bruins won a game against a D-I opponent! UCLA routed Pepperdine for a 62-39 victory on Monday night at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, giving them their second win of the season, and their first against a D-I team. Unfortunately, UCLA could not keep the streak going, as it fell by ten against Texas on Saturday. Up Next: 12.10 vs. Pennsylvania
12. Utah, 1-6: At this point I am wondering if Utah will ever win another game. They had a good chance of getting one on Saturday against Fresno State, but instead, they fell by 30 to the lowly Bulldogs. Simply enough, the Utes just aren’t getting enough offensive production to stay in games. Josh Watkins is averaging 17.7 PPG, but was suspended indefinitely earlier today due to conduct detrimental to the team. Up Next: 12.7 vs. Cal State Fullerton
I'm from Portland. College basketball and football is life.
