After a brief stay in the second spot, wins over Utah and Colorado propelled the Wildcats back to the front of the Pac-12. Arizona fell behind early to the Utes, but pulled away for a dominating 18-point win over a very good team.
The Utes have won 14 games this year but are just 1-3 against teams that are ranked in the AP top 25, showing they might not be just there yet. Utah is beating the teams it should but still needs that marquee win to prove its legitimacy.
The Cardinal have played one of the toughest schedules in the conference to this point and have succeeded for the most part. Stanford will have to continue playing well this coming weekend when the Arizona schools travel to Maples Pavilion.
Junior guard Gary Payton II has returned the Beavers to the point to his dad once had them: a true Pac-12 contender. A home win over Arizona has been the team's statement so far and the next four games are against the Los Angeles area and Arizona schools, which could make or break Oregon State.
After a great start, the Huskies are regressing to where they will probably finish, which is in the middle of the Pac-12. Washington lost four straight games, but won both of its games last weekend to maybe turn things around. The Huskies play on Jan. 25 in Salt Lake City in a game that will truly test whether Washington has a real shot.
The Ducks are 0-2 since the football team lost the inaugural College Football Playoffs to Ohio State, losing back-to-back games in Pullman and Seattle. Thankfully for Oregon, USC is the next challenge, so a win should be easy to find.
The Bruins have won three in a row, rebounding nicely from a five-game losing streak that they weren't exactly competitive for the most part. A rematch with Utah, a team UCLA could only score 39 points against in their first matchup, looms large on the horizon.
The Cougars were easily the worst team in the Pac-12 during out-of-conference play, but three quality wins puts them in the thick of things. A tough trip to the Rockies comes up this weekend and a split would keep the momentum going enough moving forward.
A good start for the Golden Bears has gone sour in a hurry with a 1-4 start to their Pac-12 schedule. Cal has lost six of its last seven games, but hopes to turn its fortune against ASU on Thursday at Haas Pavilion.
After a disappointing loss to Utah on Thursday, the Sun Devils picked up their first win in conference play against Colorado on Saturday. ASU still has a lot to prove, obviously, but opportunities abound in this conference.
The drop below ASU is mainly because of the head-to-head loss because their resumes are similar to this point of the year. The Buffaloes have been playing without two of their best players, so health will definitely benefit this team.
The Trojans' performance this year could be described as consistently inconsistent, especially in the Pac-12. USC was blown out by Colorado, who it is on the same plane with, but then nearly beat Stanford, who has an outside chance at the Pac-12.
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or on Twitter @Tonis_The_Tiger.
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