Pac-12 Men’s Hoops Power Rankings: Week 1
- No. 13 Oregon (3-1)
Oregon will likely fall in the top-25 rankings, but it still remains the team to beat in the Pac-12. After losing to Iowa, Oregon convincingly defeated No. 15 Syracuse with a monster performance from Bol Bol, who’s looking like a Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate. Bol has been as good as advertised so far and will only continue to grow more comfortable at the collegiate level. There are moments in which the Ducks could use the services of Louis King, but until then, Bol, Payton Pritchard and company will likely have to pick up the slack.
- No. 20 UCLA (3-0)
UCLA handled business in its first three games, soundly defeating subpar nonconference teams in a manner that bordered on bullying. Moses Brown couldn’t be contained, Kris Wilkes excelled in his increased role, and five players have averaged double figures thus far. It’s also worth noting that the Bruins are without four projected rotation players. UCLA’s first real competition will come this week when it plays No. 11 Michigan State.
- Washington (3-1)
It’s way too early to panic, but there should be some concern in the Pacific Northwest. Washington began the season ranked No. 25 but fell out of the top 25 when it was waxed by then-No. 11 Auburn by 22 points. Washington nearly let San Diego steal a victory at the Huskies’ home arena but handled business against Santa Clara on neutral ground as Jaylen Nowell tied his career high with 32 points against the Broncos. Through four games, no player has looked super exceptional for the Huskies, but if worst comes to worst, they’ll be able to fall back on their lockdown defense.
- Arizona (3-0)
Through three games, there have been signs of encouragement for the Wildcats. Brandon Randolph has burst onto the scene, leading the team in scoring with some exceptional shooting from both the field and the free-throw line. Chase Jeter has been a steady presence down low while Brandon Williams, despite his shooting woes, has played well in his first few college games. Arizona’s first taste of real competition will come at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational this week, beginning with Iowa State on Monday and either No. 3 Gonzaga or Illinois on Tuesday.
- USC (2-1)
Nick Rakocevic’s near 20-20 performance against Vanderbilt wasn’t enough; Jonah Matthews, Shaqquan Aaron and Jordan Usher shot a combined 12 of 38 from the field for USC as the team failed to knock off the Commodores. Kevin Porter Jr. has looked impressive in his first couple games at the collegiate level, but he’ll need to hit those gimmes at the free-throw line. The Trojans should be encouraged as Bennie Boatwright returned and played well in limited minutes Wednesday, even if it was against Stetson. This upcoming week is poised to be tough for USC as the team will play Texas Tech on Monday and either Nebraska or Missouri State on Tuesday.
- Arizona State (3-0)
Last season, Arizona State was winless through its first three games. Unlike last year, these wins to start 2018-19 have been cause for concern. In its first game of the season, Arizona State needed double overtime to knock off Cal State Fullerton — not the best look. Luguentz Dort has posted some fine numbers, but they come on a sky-high usage rate that ranks third in the Pac-12. Remy Martin hasn’t played exceptionally well, but that can be chalked up to him still recovering from injury. Arizona State’s undefeated status may come to an end when it plays No. 17 Mississippi State on the road Monday night.
- Colorado (2-0)
Like Arizona State’s record, Colorado’s undefeated record should be taken with a massive grain of salt. Colorado defeated Nebraska Omaha by just 4 points at home and had to rely on free throws to stave off defeat. Through two games, McKinley Wright IV hasn’t looked the part of a Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate, and the Buffaloes’ success depends on his ability to perform. Colorado will have a relatively easy slate of games this week and should remain undefeated. Key word: should.
- Stanford (2-1)
Getting demolished by then-No. 8 North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the outcome everyone expected, so it’s hard to put much stock into that Stanford loss. The underclassmen were going to have to be the ones to lead this team and, so far, they’ve filled that role. Kezie Okpala has taken a massive leap and is currently averaging 22.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists. More surprising is freshman Cormac Ryan, who has already established himself as a major contributor to this team. Daejon Davis, a Pac-12 All-Freshman Team nominee last season, has yet to make a similar impact, and the Cardinal will need him to be the dazzling point guard he was last season for the team to move into the top half of this list.
- Utah (2-1)
Losing most of last season’s starting unit caught up to Utah in its loss to Minnesota, as the Utes hit just one-third of their shots and turned the ball over 12 times. If not for the bench’s 29 points, that affair could have gotten very ugly, very fast. Neither side of the ball elicits too much confidence; the offense has no real alpha dog, and the defense has taken a bit of a step back from last season. Sedrick Barefield shooting 31.6 percent from the field as the team’s primary option on offense won’t cut it by any stretch of the imagination.
- Oregon State (3-1)
Not too shocking for Oregon State to end up in the No. 10 spot. The Beavers won the three games they were expected to win and remained competitive in the game they were expected to lose. Through four games, Tres Tinkle has looked every bit the All-Pac-12 First Team player he was last season — and more. He’s currently leading the Beavers in points, rebounds and assists per game, numbers that will warrant his name being in the conversation for conference player of the year if he can keep things up. Whether those big numbers will translate into wins later in the season is yet to be seen.
- California (1-1)
Cal ended up on the wrong side of history to begin the season, becoming the first Pac-12 team to lose the annual Pac-12 China Game. The team then followed that affair by almost coughing up a 17-point halftime lead to Hampton. Suffice to say, those two games were prime examples as to why this team will finish near the bottom of the Pac-12. Paris Austin emerged as a scorer in those two games, but the responsibility of scoring should fall mostly on the shoulders of Justice Sueing and Darius McNeill. Matt Bradley also flashed his scoring potential in Cal’s first two games of the season.
- Washington State (1-1)
Washington State’s loss to Seattle proves that this season will live and die by the offense provided by Robert Franks Jr. Without last year’s Pac-12 Most Improved Player in the lineup, the Cougars shot less than 30 percent and couldn’t buy a bucket down the stretch. It’s not hard to imagine Washington State winning that game with Franks in the lineup. Washington State faces Cal Poly and Delaware State this week in a pair of games that will be very winnable, especially if Franks is healthy enough to return to the lineup.
Justice delos Santos covers men’s basketball. Contact Justice delos Santos at jdelossantos@dailycal.org. Follow him on Twitter @justdelossantos.