Washington has provided some stability to the Pac-12 Basketball pecking order as the clear No. 1 team. After that? It’s anyone’s guess.
The more things change in the Pac-12 basketball standings, the more things stay the same.
Turnover at the top of those standings has been the constant theme of the season so far. Arizona State replaced Oregon as the favorite following the non-conference schedule. They were replaced by Arizona, who has now been replaced by Washington, the lone undefeated team in Pac-12 play.
Has the Pac-12 been disappointing this year? Absolutely – but you can’t deny the entertainment value brought about by the plethora of unexpected results.
The aforementioned Wildcats have lost three of their last four games since our last rankings, dropping them well out of the top spot. All three of those losses came against middling teams (Oregon, USC, UCLA), all of whom are looking to improve themselves.
Washington is the only team that has been free from the “bad loss bug” making them the No. 1 team in this week’s rankings almost by default. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised – the Huskies returned more production than anyone in the country from last season’s 21-win team, and they are finally hitting their stride.
Things are also clear at the bottom of the standings. Both Cal and Washington State occupy the last two spots as they have all year. However, it’s anyone’s guess how the other nine teams stack up against each other.
Here’s how we rank the entire Pac-12 as we move into February: