6. Utah (6-2, 1-1)
Last week: Lost to USC 93-73, Defeated California 66-58
This week: Texas Christian, Manhattan
Craig Smith has done a fairly decent job in his first season with Utes, dropping just two games so far against BYU and USC. Utah does not look like a tournament team nor a top-half team in a competitive conference, but the Pac-12 troubles have lifted them into a top 6 ranking. Branden Carlson has been rock solid averaging 13.5 points and 5.9 rebounds.
Smith has injected his defensive and rebounding philosophy early in the season, turning the Utes from one of the worst offensive rebounding teams in the country to a respectable top 100 team according to KenPom. Utah looks to be the best of the secondary pack and could be a dangerous team for the top half of the conference to play.
5. Colorado (6-3, 1-1)
Last week: Lost to UCLA 61-73, Lost to Tennessee 54-69
This week: Eastern Washington, Milwaukee
The Buffaloes just completed what will likely be the most challenging week of their season, getting soundly beaten by two top 15 teams (though the January trip to Los Angeles to play USC and UCLA won’t be a cakewalk either). Losing McKinley Wright has been as difficult as we’ve expected, with Colorado taking a major step back in scoring and efficiency.
Keeshawn Barthelemy could be the answer, as he’s looked decent in his uptick of minutes, but he has not been the efficient player that Wright was last season. It’s tough to find a path for Colorado to get to the tournament as is, but Tad Boyle knows how to keep his team steady, which should help them weather the conference.