Pac-12 basketball power rankings: Arizona thrives, while Oregon falls flat
By Tuck Clarry
4. Washington State (6-2, 1-1)
Last week: Defeated Arizona State 51-29, Lost to USC 61-63
This week: Weber State, North Dakota State
Kyle Smith has his guys right there. For the Cougs to get their ticket for the first time since 2008, they need to grind out games and control the game through tempo and defense. The Cougars have done so in a respectable fashion, rattling off six wins against ho-hum talent. Their 63-61 loss to USC highlighted their potential, however, holding USC to their lowest numbers all year and trading blows throughout the second half. Junior wing Noah Williams has yet to have a signature game, averaging just 13.6 points this season.
Their loss to the Trojans was largely due to the offense getting swallowed up in crunch time. For Smith and his team to realize their potential, the Cougars will need to be able to score in the halfcourt and get quality looks, which has been rather inconsistent the first month of action.
3. Arizona (7-0, 1-0)
Last week: Postponed against Washington, Defeated Oregon State 90-65
This week: Wyoming, Illinois
Take a bow, Tommy Lloyd. The Wildcats have looked phenomenal in their first seven games of the season. They rank first in points per game, scoring margin, and assists per game in all of Division I. Ben Mathurin looks like a surefire lottery pick. Azoulas Tubelis and Christian Koloko appear to be one of the best frontcourts in all of college basketball.
But what has been perhaps most surprising is just how far Arizona has come along on defense. Koloko and the other bigs have deterred any hopes for interior scoring for opponents. The Wildcats rank first in the country in opponent effective field goal percentage. The Wildcats look to win the Pac-12 title in Lloyd’s first season and have the players to get it done.