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ASU men's basketball's blowout doesn't cost them in latest power rankings

Four teams are jockeying for top position in the Pac-12.​

ASU men's basketball's starting five huddles before the opening tip versus Arizona on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at the McKale Center in Tucson. The Wildcats topped the Sun Devils 99-61.

ASU men's basketball's starting five huddles before the opening tip versus Arizona on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at the McKale Center in Tucson. The Wildcats topped the Sun Devils 99-61.


With just two weeks remaining in the 2015-16 men's basketball season, we have reached the stretch run. Four teams sit within a game of each other at the top, separating themselves from the rest of the Pac-12, but grappling through in a dogfight with one another for the top seed in the conference tournament.


To paraphrase the great Samuel Langhorne Clemens, the reports of the Wildcats' death have been greatly exaggerated. Now ranked ninth in the country after wiping the McKale Center floor with ASU this week, Sean Miller’s squad is back among the favorites for an Elite Eight run.


As the philosopher James Todd Smith once said, "Don’t call it a comeback." The Golden Bears have won five games in a row behind freshman forwards, Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb, and are now deeply in the NCAA Tournament conversation.


Sophomore forward, Jakob Poeltl was just named Pac-12 Player of the Week following an explosion against USC when he scored 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while handing USC its first home loss of the season.


The Ducks drop a few spots following back-to-back road losses to Cal and Stanford. Once the favorite to win the Pac-12, Oregon’s setback has the Ducks jockeying for a position at the top of the conference.


By virtue of the Trojans beating Colorado this week, USC gets the nod at number five despite a rough stretch of play lately. The one-time favorite for the conference is fighting for a bye in the conference tournament now, realistically needing to win out for a spot.


The Buffaloes were swept in Los Angeles this weekend, complicating their possible seeding in both the Pac-12 and NCAA tournaments. Senior forward, Josh Scott continues to buoy the Buffs, but his rough Saturday performance cost Colorado dearly against UCLA.


The young Huskies won’t go away and a late-season run could see them snag an at-large bid when the field of 68 is announced in a few weeks. It won’t be easy though, as UW travels to Oregon to play in a couple of tough locales this week.


The Bruins are the biggest disappointments in the conference, but they’ve won two of three and have among the most talented rosters in the country with the capability of beating anyone. Don’t count the Bruins out in Vegas.


Losers of back-to-back games, the Beavers are back under .500 in the Pac-12, pushing them to the back-half of the conference. Senior guard Gary Payton II is now in the home stretch of his career, playing Sunday in his final game at Gill Colisuem.


What can be said about the Cardinal that hasn’t been forgotten? Stanford is the most average team in the conference, just as Johnny Dawkins likes. Senior forward Rosco Allen averages just over 15 points per game, which is a nice step-up from the other players.


The Sun Devils allowed their most points in a game since 2004 on Wednesday, reaching the bottom of a valley in a poor season. Hurley’s squad now gets a chance to play spoiler as three of their last four games are against probable NCAA Tournament teams.


Wazzu is trying to get out of this nightmare season alive. The Cougars have lost 13 games in a row and have only been close in a couple of those games — they haven't scored more than 73 points in a regulation game since Jan. 3. Junior forward, Josh Hawkinson is still the lone bright spot.

Related Links:

Power Rankings: Oregon State, UCLA top Pac-12 baseball ranks

ASU men’s basketball falters at home to UCLA


Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.

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