NCAA Basketball: Arizona State’s rise, flawed San Diego State and other key questions

3. Is Arizona State really the best team in the Pac-12?

Kinander

No chance. There is a difference between being hot and being legit. It has been a nice run for the Sun Devils, but they’re still well behind Oregon and Colorado, and a tad bit behind Arizona.

Foley

No. The Sun Devils are really only thriving in two areas – pushing the pace and forcing turnovers. Everything else about Arizona State, particularly on offense, is pretty average. No one in the Pac-12 wows me on a consistent basis, but I would slot ASU as a clear fourth option behind Oregon, Arizona, and Colorado.

Larson

You can’t deny their current 7-game win streak that has included big wins over some of the Pac-12’s best. Remy Martin can match up with anyone in the conference and the Sun Devil’s defense is extremely stifling. That being said, Colorado was my preseason pick to win the conference and I still like Oregon’s knack for the big moments (being 5-1 in overtime situations), so I’m going to say ASU is ranked 3rd right now.

Chessler

After a slow start to Pac-12 play, Arizona State has peaked at the right time and is showcasing they have what it takes to make a run in the NCAA tournament. However, Arizona State struggles with playing consistent basketball throughout both halves. They allow teams to stick around in games longer than they should by becoming unfocused before the final buzzer.

I would rank Arizona State at #2 in the Pac-12 behind the Oregon Ducks in terms of team coherency and their ability to close out games in the final seconds. With only a single game separating these two teams in the standings, I would not be surprised to see one of these two teams at the top when the regular season comes to an end.