The Pac-12 season opener against UA for the ASU men’s basketball team is still a whole month away, but after a few weeks of play the conference is already starting to show its strengths and weaknesses.

It’s a little early, but The State Press is here to break down who should be favored to take the Pac-12 title and who will be propping up the standings when March rolls around.

 

1. No. 24 California (5-1)

The Golden Bears get the top spot by virtue of being the only Pac-12 team to crack the Top-25.

Senior guard Jorge Gutierrez is the undisputed star of the squad, and he gets help from sophomore guard Allen Crabbe, who last year grabbed conference Freshman of the Year honors.

Cal has its problems, however, evidenced by a 92-53 loss to No. 13 Mizzou, the team’s worst non-conference loss in history.

Gutierrez and Crabbe are good, but without some help from the frontcourt, the Golden Bears will have a tough time making a statement in the NCAA Tournament.

 

2. Stanford (6-1)

If the Cardinal keeps it up they’ll soon join Cal in the Top-25. Stanford’s only loss this season was a nail-biter against No. 5 Syracuse that finished 69-63. They’ve cleared 60 points in every game they’ve played.

The team is young — sophomore guard Aaron Bright leads the team in scoring so far this year — but senior forward Josh Owens is already establishing himself as a leader. They were picked to finish sixth, but a lot can change over the course of a season.

 

3. UA (6-2)

The Wildcats have had a few scares this season, falling to Seattle Pacific in an exhibition.

Led by senior guard Kyle Fogg and junior forward Solomon Hill, UA was able to get off to a 4-0 start and put at least some of the critics to rest.

There are still kinks to work out, but the Wildcats have the ability to challenge for a title.

 

4. Oregon State (5-1)

The Beavers have been the surprise package so far this season. Picked to finish eighth in the conference, OSU upset a strong Texas squad in overtime before narrowly falling to No. 20 Vanderbilt.

Junior guard Jared Cunningham is already averaging over 20 points a game and will likely be a force all season. With only three upperclassmen, the Beavers are young, but there’s a lot of talent in Corvallis.

 

5. Washington (4-1)

The early-season problems for the Huskies have come in the form of an inconsistent offense.

And for a team that is already allowing its opponents to score 70 points a game, a high-powered offense is necessary. The good thing is that UW has the players in sophomores Terrence Ross and C.J. Wilcox to do it.

A lack of a defense may hurt the Huskies once conference play starts.

 

6. Oregon (4-1)

The Ducks secured their first big win of the season against Nebraska in Lincoln last Wednesday and are riding high.

There are problems, however. Freshman guard Jabari Brown, a five-star recruit, left the team just two games into the season, which was a huge loss for the Ducks.

The team is solid without Brown, but his loss plays a part both on the court and off. A herculean effort all around is the only way for the Ducks to challenge for a conference title.

 

7. USC (3-4)

So far the Trojans are having about the season that was expected of them. The team lacks a consistent scoring threat, but sophomore guard Maurice Jones could step up to the challenge.

USC had three starters from last year graduate and one leave for the draft early. It’s a tall order for a young team, and they will likely stay near the middle of the standings.

 

8. Colorado (4-2)

Led by sophomore forward André Roberson, the Buffalos are off to a strong start to the season. CU made it to the semifinals of the NIT last year after being denied an NCAA bid after a 24-14 season.

It’s tough to say if the move from the Big 12 to the Pac-12 will have an effect on the Buffalos, and their first few games in the new conference will be interesting.

 

9. UCLA (2-4)

Picked by many to take the inaugural Pac-12 crown, the Bruins are going through a disastrous start to the season, having lost to Loyola Marymount and D-II Cal State San Bernardino to open the campaign.

UCLA got its first win against a non-conference opponent on Monday against Pepperdine, and finally showed signs that they could be the team that was ranked No. 17 before the season.

The Bruins have a lot of height up front, and if they wake up, could still challenge for the title.

 

10. ASU (2-4)

Things are not looking good for the Sun Devils. The team is still waiting on the official status of super frosh Jahii Carson, and the longer the NCAA takes to decide his eligibility, the worse his chances look.

ASU isn’t without talent, and junior guard Trent Lockett and sophomore guard Keala King have shown flashes of brilliance this season.

Without a senior on the team, however, the Sun Devils need an x-factor, and right now they don’t have one.

 

11. Washington State (2-4)

Inconsistent is the best way to describe the Cougars so far this season. WSU has shown a tendency to let close games slip away.

On Sunday the Cougars owned a 14-point lead at halftime against UC Riverside, but allowed the Highlanders to mount an impressive second-half comeback and steal the win.

Senior guard Aden Faisal and junior forward Brock Motum are both averaging over 15 points a game, but without better defensive efforts, WSU may be resigned to the lower half of the standings.

 

12. Utah (1-5)

The Utes’ only win of the season came against San Diego Christian College. Since then, their closest loss was a 14-point defeat to Montana State.

Utah’s only immediate goal this year will to avoid finishing dead last in its first year in the Pac-12.

 

Reach the reporter at egrasser@asu.edu
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