Pac-12 Power Rankings: Jan. 9

1. Arizona: The Wildcats earn the top spot on this list by virtue of being the top team in the nation. With super-athletic freshman forward Aaron Gordon teaming up with sophomore bigs Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski, Arizona (15-0, 2-0 Pac-12) has as imposing a frontcourt trio as there is in the nation. Junior guard Nick Johnson leads the team in scoring, but it’s on the defensive end where the Wildcats do the most damage. Arizona boasts the third-best defense in the nation in terms of points allowed per game, giving up just 54.9. It also holds opponents to 36.6 percent shooting, fifth best in the nation. While Arizona’s offense is far from dominant, the Wildcats are the favorites to win the Pac-12 because of how difficult it is to score on them.

2. Colorado: The Buffaloes (14-2, 3-0) topped the then-No. 10 Oregon Ducks on Sunday, winning 100-91. While not a top-tier team on either the offensive or defensive sides of the ball, Colorado has found a way to hang with, and defeat, some of the best teams in the nation. With four games against ranked opponents already, the Buffaloes have gone 2-2 in those contests, toppling the Ducks and then-No. 6 Kansas, while losing to then-No. 7 Oklahoma State by five and hanging with then-No. 25 Baylor in what was eventually a 12-point loss. Colorado’s tough slate in nonconference games prepared it well for Pac-12 competition.

3. Oregon: While defense is the calling card for Arizona, Oregon (13-1, 1-1) makes a formidable foe because of its elite offense. Ranked third in the country in points per game with 89.4, the Ducks’ offense seems to mirror the school’s football team in pace. Oregon is also the Pac-12’s top three-point-shooting team, converting on over 41 percent of its shots from deep. Former UCLA and UNLV forward Mike Moser continues to have success away from Westwood, as the senior is averaging nearly 14 points per game for Oregon this season. However, Moser is the only Duck to average over five rebounds per game, an area in which the Ducks rank 131st in the nation.

4. UCLA: If Oregon’s offense is No. 1 in the Pac-12, UCLA’s is “1a.” The Bruins’ 87.1 points per game is a few shy of the Ducks’ mark, but the Bruins shoot nearly 53 percent from the field and over 40 percent from beyond the arc. Sophomore guard/forward Kyle Anderson has played himself into the national spotlight with a triple-double against Morehead State and several more performances that came close. The Bruins (12-2, 1-0) are still struggling on defense and with rebounding, but coach Steve Alford has said that his team has shown improvements in those areas in recent weeks. In its two games against teams now in the top 25, UCLA has hung with its opponents – Missouri and Duke – in the first half, but was unable to pull ahead in the second half. Thursday’s game against No. 1 Arizona will give UCLA an opportunity to face a ranked team at home.

5. Utah: The Utes (13-2, 2-1) could be the sleeper team in the Pac-12. Their offense can hold its own against any team in the conference, as it is ranked No. 1 in the nation in field goal percentage, No. 3 in assists, No. 2 in assists per turnover and No. 15 in scoring. Utah also boasts the second-best defense in the Pac-12 in terms of both points allowed and opponents field goal percentage. Utah proved it could hold its own in the Pac-12 already, taking then-No. 10 Oregon to overtime in a 70-68 Ducks win. While that game was Utah’s only real test so far this year, the Utes appear to be a tough matchup for any Pac-12 team they face.

6. Arizona State: Sophomore guard Jahii Carson is one of the Pac-12’s best players, averaging over 18 points and five assists per contest. He’s aided this year by senior guard Jermaine Marshall and senior center Jordan Bachynski, who are the Sun Devils’ only two other players to average double-digit scoring. With a player as good as Carson leading the way, the Sun Devils (12-3, 1-1) have enough talent to give some teams trouble, as they have shown with wins over then-No. 25 Marquette. Arizona State’s defense has also proven itself to be up to the task, holding opponents to 39.1 percent shooting so far. The combination of Carson’s scoring and a tight defense could allow the Sun Devils to cause problems in the Pac-12 this year.

7. Stanford: The Cardinal had an enigmatic start to the season. After a two-point road win over then-No.10 Connecticut, Stanford (9-4, 0-1) opened Pac-12 play with a seven-point loss to lowly Cal. Stanford didn’t have the easiest nonconference schedule – with games against Pittsburgh, Connecticut and Michigan – but with four losses already, the Cardinal doesn’t figure to compete for a Pac-12 title. Senior forward Dwight Powell is a bright spot for the Cardinal, leading the team in assists while placing second in points and rebounds.

8. California: In a conference with several of the nation’s top offenses, the Golden Bears (10-4, 1-0) don’t quite stack up. They have the No. 144 scoring offense and their field goal percentage ranks 126th in the nation. Cal’s one game against a ranked opponent was a 92-81 loss to then-No. 8 Syracuse. The loss of last year’s Pac-12 Player of the Year Allen Crabbe has hurt Cal and it’s now-anemic offense.

9. Washington: Washington held its own against Arizona State and Arizona in its opening weekend of Pac-12 play. The Huskies (9-7,1-2) earned an 11-point win over a good Sun Devils’ squad, and lost to the Wildcats by less than 10 points. But nonconference losses to less-than-stellar teams like Boston College, UC Irvine and Indiana will temper expectations for Washington. Led by senior guard C.J. Wilcox, who is averaging over 20 points per game, the Huskies still have enough talent to do more than roll over against Pac-12 opponents.

10. USC: USC (9-5, 0-1) lost big time to UCLA on Sunday, with the 34-point gap in the scores representing the large disparity changed from gap, ok by writer” class=”inline-comment collapsed”> between the talent of the two teams. The Trojans look like they have a long way to go to reach the top tier of the Pac-12. There doesn’t seem like there’s much to be hopeful about this year, outside of the play of junior guard Byron Wesley, who leads the team in points and rebounding, which ranks 27th in the nation.

11. Oregon State: The Beavers took two losses against Utah and Colorado over the weekend to open Pac-12 play. While Oregon State (8-6, 0-2) is No. 7 in the nation in field goal percentage, its points scored average doesn’t stack up to the conference’s best. A season-opening loss to lowly Coppin State lowlighted a preseason that saw the Beavers lose four games and struggle at times.

12. Washington State: Washington State (7-8, 0-3) scored seven first-half points against Arizona. Seven. The Cougars’ 18 second-half points didn’t really make up for it either. Ranked No. 299 in the nation in scoring, the Cougars aren’t just the worst team in the Pac-12 – they are among the worst Division I teams in the nation.