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Sun Devils among worst in men's Pac-12 power rankings

Jordan Bachynski dunks the ball against Pepperdine on Nov. 15, 2011. The Sun Devils have struggled to find consistency this season. (Photo by Aaron Lavinsky)
Jordan Bachynski dunks the ball against Pepperdine on Nov. 15, 2011. The Sun Devils have struggled to find consistency this season. (Photo by Aaron Lavinsky)

We’re almost halfway through conference play, and there isn’t a Pac-12 men’s basketball team in any Associated Press or Coaches Top 25 poll.

It’s safe to say it’s another down year for the conference.

After horrid results in non-conference play — the conference was 0–12 against teams in the AP Top 25 — the Pac-12 has been just as consistent playing against each other. Standings fluctuate on a weekly basis, without a clear-cut favorite.

Here’s where the Pac-12 stands as of this moment.

1. California (16–5, 6–2 Pac-12)

The Golden Bears didn’t help themselves by losing to Washington State on Saturday, but they’re No. 1 nonetheless. Cal is ranked No. 23 in the Sagarin ratings, the only Pac-12 team in the top 25.

Led by guards Allen Crabbe, Jorge Gutierrez and Justin Cobbs, Cal is one of the better shooting teams in the conference. The Golden Bears shoot 48.5 percent, which is the 17th best field goal percentage in the nation. Cal is also 19th in the country with 16.4 assists a game.

Barring an epic collapse, Cal should make the NCAA tournament. Then again, this is the Pac-12. An epic collapse is possible.

2. Oregon (15–5, 6–2 Pac-12)

Note this is subject to change, but it’s hard to ignore what the Ducks are doing right now. They’re the hottest team in the conference, and they won their last four games. Guards Garrett Sim and Devoe Joseph have posted double digits in all four games. Oregon also got a big win on Jan. 5 over Stanford.

But Oregon is 91st in the Sagarin ratings. The team shoots 44.8 percent from the floor — eighth in the conference — and allows 66.1 points a game.

3. Stanford (15–5, 5–3 Pac-12)

The Cardinal had a terrible week. They dropped two in a row at Washington and Washington State. It’s difficult to call Stanford a potential NCAA team when it is 1–3 on the road in conference play. The only win came in quadruple overtime against Oregon State, 103–101.

Stanford has a tough matchup against Cal on the road Sunday. It needs to have a good outing to prove it can compete.

4. Colorado (13–6, 5–2 Pac-12)

The Buffaloes swept the Arizona schools at home this past week, capped by a devastating dunk by Andre Roberson over Jordan Bachynski.

Colorado is another team that needs to prove it can win on this road this week at Southern Cal and UCLA. It lost its only conference road games this season against Cal and Stanford.

5. Washington (12–7, 5–2 Pac-12)

The Huskies come into town Thursday as one of the best rebounding teams in the country. They’re ranked eighth in the country, averaging 40.6 per game.

Washington is coming off a home series in which it fell to Cal by three points and also recorded a win over Stanford. Now it is preparing for a two-game road trip to Arizona.

6. Oregon State (13–7, 3–4 Pac-12)

The Beavers put up a ton of points. They are ranked fifth nationally averaging 82.7 points a game, but they also give up a lot. Oregon State is 279th in scoring defense, allowing opposing teams to score 72.1 points per game.

The Beavers do have wins against Texas and Cal. Plus, they have Jared Cunningham, who leads the Pac-12 with 17.8 points per game.

7. Arizona (13–7, 4–3 Pac-12)

Without Derrick Williams, the Wildcats have been inconsistent this season. They beat the teams they should (ASU, USC, Utah), but they suffered tough losses to Oregon and Colorado by a combined three points.

Freshman guards Nick Johnson and Josiah Turner are getting a lot of minutes this season. Johnson is getting over 26 minutes per game and averaging 9.5 points per game. Turner is averaging 7.2 points per game in just over 22 minutes.

8. UCLA (10–9, 3–4 Pac-12)

The dismissal of Reeves Nelson killed the Bruins’ hopes of winning the Pac-12. They are also coming off losses at Oregon and Oregon State.

Joshua Smith is still coming off the bench. His inability to play heavy minutes due to his weight and constant foul trouble hasn’t helped the Bruins, either.

9. Washington State (11–8, 3–4 Pac-12)

It’s tough to get a read on Washington State. The team suffered three straight road defeats to Utah, Colorado and Washington, but defeated Stanford and Cal last week.

However, the Cougars are one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the Pac-12. They’re ranked second in the conference, shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc.

10. Utah (5–14, 2-5 Pac–12)

Defeating ASU on Saturday without dismissed guard Josh Watkins was a big win for the Utes, but this is still one of the worst teams in the country.

Out of 345 teams, Utah is ranked 298th in the Sagarin ratings. The Utes are one of the worst scoring teams in the country, averaging 56.8 points a game. Before their win over ASU, the Utes lost their last two games (Cal and Arizona) by a combined 62 points.

Yet somehow, they not only beat the Sun Devils, they blew them out.

11. Arizona State (6–13, 2–5 Pac-12)

Losing to Utah doesn’t look good at all, even if your best player, Trent Lockett, did not play. The Sun Devils are lacking leadership beyond Lockett. He’s practically done everything he can, including making the switch to being point guard.

The point guard position has killed the Sun Devils. They lack consistency from that position due to suspensions and injuries. There is talent on this team, and there’s reason to be optimistic next year. Lockett will be a senior, Jahii Carson will be back in the mix and the Sun Devils will still be a very young squad.

As short-handed as they are, it’ll be a tough 11-game stretch to close out the season.

12. USC (5–15, 0–7 Pac-12)

The Trojans were the easiest selection. They’re the only team without a Pac-12 Conference win. USC lost 11 out of its last 12 games. One of its worst games was likely its home loss to an ASU team that had only six scholarship players available.

USC is last in nearly every statistical category in the conference, including scoring, field goal percentage and rebounds.

Reach the reporter at mtesfats@asu.edu

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