How each Pac-12 basketball team is trending heading into conference play
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
The end of an era is here, as the Pac-12 begins conference play this week in men’s basketball.
It’s the final season all 12 schools will all play together in the same conference..
While No. 4 Arizona is the clear front-runner heading into conference play, there appears to be an open race beyond that — from schools like Utah and Colorado, or others like USC and Oregon, as well as the Washington schools — for a handful of others to earn their way into NCAA Tournament contention.
How is each program trending heading into Pac-12 play? Here’s a team-by-team look at each Pac-12 team — in order of their current NET rankings — what they’ve accomplished in nonconference play and what’s ahead in the immediate future:
No. 4 Arizona Wildcats
Record: 9-2.
Rankings: No. 2 in NET rankings, No. 3 in KenPom.
The rundown: The Wildcats come out of a challenging nonconference slate where they played five ranked teams (and beat three) with a 4-2 Quad 1 record, including victories over Duke, Michigan State and Wisconsin. Their most recent game was a thriller, as they lost in double overtime to then-No. 14 Florida Atlantic.
A pair of transfers — Caleb Love from North Carolina and Keshad Johnson from San Diego State — lead a deep Wildcats squad. Love is averaging 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists to pace five Arizona players that average in double-figures.
Upcoming schedule: Friday at California (8:30 p.m. MST, Pac-12 Network), Sunday at Stanford (2 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 4 vs. Colorado (7:30 p.m., ESPN), Jan. 6 vs. Utah (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
Utah Utes
Record: 9-2.
Rankings: No. 25 in NET rankings, No. 31 in KenPom.
The rundown: The Utes are on a league-high six-game winning streak heading into conference play, highlighted by a victory over over then-No. 14 BYU, the current No. 3-ranked team in the NET rankings. There are also wins over Saint Mary’s and Wake Forest.
Fifth-year senior Branden Carlson has averaged a team-best 16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds to lead a solid group of veterans that includes other returners Gabe Madsen and Rollie Worster alongside transfers Lawson Lovering and Cole Bajema, with two-time transfer Deivon Smith recently becoming eligible.
Upcoming schedule: Friday vs. Washington State (6:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Sunday vs. Washington (4 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 4 at Arizona State (9 p.m., ESPN2), Jan. 6 at No. 4 Arizona (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
Colorado Buffaloes
Record: 9-2.
Rankings: No. 34 in NET rankings, No. 24 in KenPom.
The rundown: The Buffaloes’ only two losses outside of league play came by a total of 11 points, including a five-point loss to top 15 Colorado State, while Colorado’s nonconference slate is highlighted by a blowout victory over then-No. 15 Miami.
Colorado has four players averaging double-figures, with junior KJ Simpson averaging 19.9 points (second-highest in the Pac-12), 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game, all while shooting 57.7% from the field and a league-high 48.9% from 3.
Upcoming schedule: Friday vs. Washington (7 p.m., ESPNU), Sunday vs. Washington State (noon, Pac-12 Network), Jan. 4 at No. 4 Arizona (7:30 p.m., ESPN), Jan. 6 at Arizona State (6 p.m., ESPNU).
Washington State Cougars
Record: 9-2.
Rankings: No. 44 in NET rankings, No. 65 in KenPom.
The rundown: The Cougars turned in a better-than-expected record during nonconference play, with blowout wins over the majority of teams they were heavy favorites over, as well as an impressive victory over 2023 NCAA Tournament team Boise State to wrap up nonleague action.
Washington State is one of the conference’s toughest defensive teams — the Cougars are allowing 62.4 points and a league-low 37.3% shooting per game — while Isaac Jones (15.6 points, 7.3 rebounds) and Myles Rice (15.5 points, 2.9 assists) carry them offensively.
Upcoming schedule: Friday at Utah (6:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Sunday at Colorado (noon, Pac-12 Network), Jan. 4 vs. Oregon State (9 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 6 vs. Oregon (8 p.m., ESPNU).
Washington Huskies
Record: 8-3.
Rankings: No. 58 in NET rankings, No. 60 in KenPom.
The rundown: Outside Arizona’s impressive nonconference wins, the Huskies, winners of four straight, own several of the Pac-12’s best out-of-league victories, including a win over then-No. 7 Gonzaga and a neutral-site victory over Xavier in Las Vegas. Their three losses all came against Mountain West Conference teams, in what is shaping up to be another strong year for the MWC.
The Huskies follow the lead of the league’s top scorer, Keion Brooks Jr. The senior forward is averaging a conference-best 20.1 points per game, which is top 20 nationally, while Sahvir Wheeler is adding 15.6 points and 7.1 assists per contest.
Upcoming schedule: Friday at Colorado (7 p.m., ESPNU), Sunday at Utah (4 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 4 vs. Oregon (7 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 6 (4 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
Oregon Ducks
Record: 8-3.
Rankings: No. 69 in NET rankings, No. 48 in KenPom.
The rundown: The Ducks have quietly gone about winning the majority of their games thus far, with their top win a three-point victory over Michigan, currently the No. 68 team in the NET rankings. Oregon, though, recently lost by 20 to Syracuse and fell to Santa Clara.
The Ducks have had their share of injuries — among them, center N’Faly Dante has played just one game, the season opener, this year — while Oregon has relied on guys like Jermaine Couisnard (13.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists) in the season’s early going.
Upcoming schedule: Thursday vs. USC (7 p.m., ESPN2), Saturday vs. UCLA (2 p.m., CBS), Jan. 4 at Washington (7 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 6 at Washington State (8 p.m., ESPNU).
USC Trojans
Record: 6-5.
Rankings: No. 80 in NET rankings, No. 46 in KenPom.
The rundown: The Trojans were voted to finish second in the Pac-12 in the league’s preseason poll, though the team has gone through some growing pains thus far. USC beat Kansas State to start the season, but lost four out of five during one stretch.
The talk surrounding USC is still, can they be an NCAA Tournament team? That because they have senior guard Boogie Ellis (19.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists) and freshman guard Isaiah Collier (16.1 points, team-high 4.3 assists), with Bronny James getting acclimated — he was cleared to play in late November after suffering a cardiac arrest incident over the summer.
Upcoming schedule: Thursday at Oregon (7 p.m., ESPN2), Saturday at Oregon State (8 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 3 vs. California (8 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 6 vs. Stanford (2 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
Arizona State Sun Devils
Record: 6-5.
Rankings: No. 144 in NET rankings, No. 118 in KenPom.
The rundown: One year after reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Sun Devils have some work to do to get back to the NCAAs. Arizona State is on a three-game losing streak entering conference play and have been blown out in several games, including a neutral-site loss to BYU, currently No. 3 in the NET rankings.
The Sun Devils benefitted from the recent decision for multiple-time transfers to be eligible the remainder of the season — in his first two games with ASU, junior guard Adam Miller has provided a scoring punch for a struggling offense by averaging 13.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists while playing for his third team.
Upcoming schedule: Friday at Stanford (9 p.m., ESPN2), Sunday at California (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 4 vs. Utah (9 p.m., ESPN2), Jan. 6 vs. Colorado (6 p.m., ESPNU).
Stanford Cardinal
Record: 5-5.
Rankings: No. 149 in NET rankings, No. 94 in KenPom.
The rundown: The Cardinal have gone 0-5 in their games that currently count as Quad 1 to Quad 3 games, while they are 5-0 against Quad 4 opponents. For Stanford to be competitive in the Pac-12, that will have to improve.
Junior forward Maxime Raynaud paces four players averaging double-figures for the Cardinal. He is averaging near a double-double, with 14.6 points and 9.1 rebounds (second in the league) per game.
Upcoming schedule: Friday vs. Arizona State (9 p.m., ESPN2), Sunday vs. No. 4 Arizona (2 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 3 at UCLA (7 p.m., ESPN2), Jan. 6 at USC (2 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
UCLA Bruins
Record: 5-6.
Rankings: No. 172 in NET rankings, No. 84 in KenPom.
The rundown: The youthful Bruins, who made the Sweet 16 last year, have struggled in the preseason — UCLA has lost four straight and five of its last six after starting the year 4-1. The Bruins were predicted to finish third in the league, but they have yet to earn anything but Quad 4 wins, are 0-4 in Quad 1 matchups and lost to the Big West’s Cal-State Northridge.
Freshman guard Sebastian Mack is leading UCLA by averaging 15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, while sophomore center Adem Bona is adding 12.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest.
Upcoming schedule: Thursday at Oregon State (8 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Saturday at Oregon (2 p.m., CBS), Jan. 3 vs. Stanford (7 p.m., ESPN2), Jan. 6 vs. California (8 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
Oregon State Beavers
Record: 8-3.
Rankings: No. 196 in NET rankings, No. 192 in KenPom.
The rundown: The Beavers have racked up the majority of their wins against Quad 4 opponents — still, they head into conference play on a five-game winning streak, second-longest in the Pac-12. The best wins came at home over Appalachian State (No. 78 in NET rankings and Utah Valley (No. 183).
Second-year guard Jordan Pope is leading the Beavers, averaging 16.9 points, 3.4 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game, while fellow sophomore Tyler Bilodeau is adding 11.5 points and a team-best 5.4 rebounds per contest.
Upcoming schedule: Thursday vs. UCLA (8 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Saturday vs. USC (8 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 4 at Washington State (9 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 6 at Washington (4 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
California Golden Bears
Record: 4-7.
Rankings: No. 221 in NET rankings, No. 161 in KenPom.
The rundown: The rebuilding Golden Bears, under first-year coach Mark Madsen, are clearly bringing up the rear in the Pac-12 — they’re just 3-3 in Quad 4 matchups and lost six of seven games at one point during nonconference play.
California has a pair of multiple-time transfers leading the program — Jaylon Tyson is averaging 19.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists, while Fardaws Aimaq, who played for Madsen at UVU and is playing for his fourth team, is averaging a double-double with 16.9 points and a league-best 10.7 rebounds per contest.
Upcoming schedule: Friday vs. No. 4 Arizona (8:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Sunday vs. Arizona State (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 3 at USC (8 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 6 at UCLA (8 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
