Sophomore forward Sophie Brunner drives to the basket in a game against Middle Tennessee, Friday. Nov. 14, 2014 at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe. The Sun Devils defeated the Blue Raiders 81-67. (Photo by Ben Moffat)
The Pac-12 standings, AP rankings and RPI rankings are a mess. As the only team with a Pac-12 victory, UCLA technically leads the conference, but its 5-7 overall record is the worst in the pack. Washington, tied for first with ASU in the conference by record, is not ranked by the AP. ASU is No. 6 in RPI, but barely snuck into the AP votes, residing at No. 22.
The pre-Pac-12 power ranking combines those three elements, as well as takes a look at some big wins and difficult competition.
Washington is not only tied for the best record in the Pac-12 (11-1), the Huskies have arguably the best player in the conference. Sophomore guard Kelsey Plum averages an NCAA-high 26.6 points per game and is hovering around the pace to record a 50-40-90 season (she currently shoots at a 50.2 percent field goal percent, 44.4 three-point percent and 89.7 free throw percent). Only six NBA players have ever accomplished this in a season.
Unranked Washington dominated No. 5 Texas A&M; (12-2), winning 70-49. The Huskies’ only loss is to No. 12 Nebraska (11-2).
Though Stanford is in the middle of the pack in terms of win-loss percentage, the Cardinal played against one of the toughest schedules in the Pac-12. Three of its four losses came against teams that are currently ranked in the top-10. Those schools: No. 3 Texas (11-0), No. 8 Tennessee (10-2) and No. 9 North Carolina (12-1) and the fourth loss came against Chattanooga (11-3), which had 20 votes in the latest AP poll.
The Cardinal’s season has been highlighted by upsetting now-No. 2 Connecticut (11-1) 88-86 in overtime near the beginning of the season. Stanford is currently ranked No. 15, and this experience against tough teams will come in handy in Pac-12 play.
ASU doesn’t have a Kelsey Plum, but it plays well as a team. The Sun Devils have scored more than 80 points five times this season, and its average point differential is +16.9. This is a reflection of the defense, which has allowed just 56.8 points per game. ASU’s only loss came against Green Bay (9-3), No. 4 in RPI rankings.
Sophomore center Quinn Dornstauder has been a force coming off the bench for ASU. In the last four games, she has averaged just 18 minutes, but grabbed eight rebounds per contest and is hovering around 13 points per game in that span.
There’s something to be said about a 10-0 start to the season, and the Beaver’s AP placement at No. 13 reflects this. Their only loss came to No. 8 Tennessee, and its highlight of pre-Pac-12 play was handing No. 9 North Carolina its first loss of the year.
Like ASU, OSU spreads around the scoring. All of its starters average at least 9.0 points per game, and 6-foot-6 junior center Ruth Hamblin adds 9.2 rebounds per game to her 13.5 points.
WSU’s high point of the season came in its victory over now-No. 14 Maryland (10-2). Senior guard Tia Presley and junior guard Lia Galdeira form one of the most dynamic backcourt duos in the Pac-12, combining for an average of 37.7 points per game. However, the two combine for barely over 4.5 assists per game, remarkably low for a starting backcourt.
Cal’s caliber as a team is much closer to WSU than the No. 7 team in the power rankings, and if it weren’t for the 62-39 loss to Kansas (9-4), the Golden Bears would likely be above the Cougars. Cal has an electric offense; it has scored 100 points twice and its margin differential is +9.5. Senior guard Brittany Boyd has been a bright spot for the team, averaging 8.8 assists and 3.5 steals per game.
None of USC’s eight victories have come against a ranked team, and outside of the Trojans' game against No. 1 South Carolina (12-0), they’ve faced a relatively easy schedule. However, the South Carolina game provided some light for the Trojans; they put up 61 points against a team that allows just 47.6 per game, and only lost by nine.
That offensive mark is not unusual. The Trojans have shown they can score, and have put up 90 points four times this season. Four of their players average double-digit points. This elevates them over UCLA, despite losing to the Bruins on Tuesday.
Though UCLA has the worst record in the Pac-12, the Bruins are not the worst team. Five of their seven losses have come against teams currently in the top-12, and another came in overtime against James Madison (9-2), which has 14 votes in the most recent AP voting. On the other hand, the Bruins have not had any particularly impressive victories; the best probably came against USC, but the Bruins only scored 59 points.
Despite the tough schedule, UCLA has kept close in tough games: its average scoring margin is just -3.0, and the Bruins out-rebound opponents by 3.4 on average. UCLA is a team to keep an eye on to improve as Pac-12 play begins.
Oregon is the opposite of UCLA: its strength of schedule is mediocre at best, influencing the Ducks' RPI mark — the lowest in the Pac-12 and the only outside the top-200. The only ranked opponent they faced, No. 9 North Carolina, defeated the Ducks 76-59, but Oregon's been rather successful against unspectacular teams.
The defense hasn’t been fantastic, allowing about 65 points per game, but junior forward Jillian Alleyne is the best big in the conference. Her 17.6 points and NCAA-high 14.6 rebounds pushes the Ducks to victory and pushes them higher in the power rankings.
Like Oregon, Colorado’s record is slightly misleading: the Buffaloes' strength of schedule is soft. The only ranked opponent they played was No. 20 Iowa (10-2), and the Buffaloes lost 78-63.
Colorado has been impressive in late game situations, though. The Buffaloes have already been to three overtime games, winning their last two games extra time games, which included a double-overtime thriller. Junior forward Jamee Swan has been coming in off the bench for the last couple games, but it hasn’t affected her output — she had a 15-rebound game and averages 15.5 since starting her bench role.
Arizona has struggled to find offensive production this year. The Wildcats have scored 70 points only three times, one of which they had help reaching the plateau in overtime. Though they have tough defense that allows just 57.4 points per game, their offense might not be able to supply enough spark in Pac-12 play. They need to find a go-to scorer. Only one player averages at least nine points, and that is redshirt senior Candice Warthen, who shoots a pedestrian 33 percent.
Utah has struggled this season. Only one of its losses is to a ranked opponent, and no victories stand out as eye-popping. However, the Utes are 6-1 at home, which could either be a reflection of strong home play or a weak schedule at home.
The promising factor going into Pac-12 play is redshirt senior Taryn Wicijowski. She’s one of the better bigs in the conference, averaging a team-high 15.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
Reach the reporter at logan.newman@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Logan_Newsman
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