NCAA Basketball: Tennessee, Baylor, Illinois rise in latest top 25 power rankings

25. Washington State (20-6)

It looked like the Cougars were going places after an 8-1 start to their season, though a rough stretch right after Christmas dulled their star a bit. Now, Washington State is gaining attention again for their work in the Pac-12, including a stellar win against Arizona and some recent success on the road. We’re including them in these rankings, so clearly that winning streak is ongoing.

After three brilliant road wins, Washington State was back at home this week, beginning with an 84-65 win over California. Avenging their only loss of the last six weeks, the Cougars got 25 points from Myles Rice and a 21-point, 9-rebound effort from Isaac Jones. They’d play brilliantly again two days later, winning 72-59 against Stanford on Saturday afternoon. Both Jones and Jaylen Wells scored 15 in a balanced team effort.

Now winners of seven straight and 10 of their last 11, Washington State is quietly asserting themselves as the second-best team in this conference. There’s no question that the Pac-12 is really weak in general again in its final season, but the Cougars are taking advantage of their opportunities and now sit 10-4 in league play. We’ll see how long these good vibes last as they’ll face a very difficult rematch at Arizona next week.