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Pac-12 men’s basketball power rankings: Jan. 27

By camayak

Jan. 27, 2015 12:00 a.m.

With the fourth week of Pac-12 conference play in the books, Daily Bruin Sports gives an updated version of its Pac-12 power rankings.

1. No. 6 Arizona (18-2, 6-1)

The Wildcats retain the top spot in our rankings after taking down Stanford and Cal on the road. Arizona has won four straight games by an average of 15.5 points while its two losses have come by a combined six points. Stanley Johnson has thus far been as good as advertised, as he leads the Wildcats in scoring and rebounds and is the top freshman scorer in the conference with 15 points per game. Arizona hosts Oregon, a team it beat by 18 earlier this season, before getting its shot at avenging its lone Pac-12 loss when it battles Oregon State Friday.

Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.

2. No. 11 Utah (16-3, 6-1)

The Utes continued to look unbeatable at home after dispatching both Washington and Washington State by double-digits. Utah remains undefeated when playing at the Jon M. Huntsman Center, with 10 victories coming by more than 20 points. But while the Utes trot out one of the nation’s top shooting and defensive squads, their 1-3 record against top 25 teams may be a bit concerning come tournament time. Utah should extend its winning streak to four as it heads to Los Angeles for rematches against USC and UCLA, whom the Utes beat by a combined 56 points earlier this season.

Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.

3. Oregon State (14-5, 5-2)

Speaking of home court advantages, there are few better this year than what Oregon State has going on at Gill Coliseum, where the Beavers are a perfect 12-0 after beating UCLA and USC this past week. But while Oregon State keeps winning, doubts about how good this team persist, especially after only defeating a struggling USC squad by four. Still, a win is a win and Gary Payton II is one of the league’s best newcomers. The junior guard turned in a pair of dominant performances against the two Los Angeles schools and is currently tied for second in the nation with three steals per game.

Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.

4. Stanford (14-5, 5-2)

Stanford had a prime opportunity to make a statement this past week, as it hosted No. 6 Arizona on a nationally televised stage on Thursday night. The Cardinal stole the first portion of the show, as they led 41-39 at halftime, but they allowed the Wildcats’ stars, particularly Stanley Johnson, to prevail during the game’s climax in the second half. Though the Cardinal eventually lost 89-82, their ability to hang in with the highly ranked Wildcats on a night when Arizona shot 55.6 percent suggests that Stanford is one of the conference’s better teams.

Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin sports senior staff.

5. Oregon (14-6, 4-3)

The Pac-12’s top offense lived up to the hype after dismantling UCLA 82-64, Saturday. The Ducks shot 75 percent in the first half and at times couldn’t miss. When this team is on, it is as dangerous as any team in the conference, given the sheer number of weapons – headlined by Joseph Young – Oregon trots out. Trouble is, consistency is a concern as is the defense. The Ducks simply didn’t play any of it for stretches of their game against the Bruins.

Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.

6. Washington (14-5, 3-4)

After back-to-back wins over Oregon State and Oregon snapped its four-game losing streak, Washington appeared to have regained some of the form that made it a top-25 team earlier this season. That thought quickly dissipated after Washington edged Colorado by just two points before getting run out of the building by Utah. The Huskies remain a solid defensive team but the lack of an outside game really limits them offensively. What hurts them going forward is the loss of their imposing center Robert Upshaw, the nation’s blocks leader, who was dismissed from the team Monday.

Compiled by Jordan Lee and Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.

7. Colorado (10-9, 3-4)

The Buffs are rated one spot ahead of the Bruins in these rankings based on their win in the head-to-head matchup on Jan. 2. But even beyond that, the bottom line is that Colorado has been more competitive, even in losses, than UCLA has during Pac-12 play so far this year. Colorado has only lost two Pac-12 games by more than six points, and those losses were to the conference’s juggernauts – Arizona and Utah – on the road. Meanwhile, three of UCLA’s four conference losses are by more than 10 points, and only one of those losses was to a ranked team. Bruin fans may attribute two of those double-digit losses to the absence of junior forward/center Tony Parker, but Colorado has been without not just one, but two of its starting forwards and leading scorers – Josh Scott and Xavier Johnson – for most of Pac-12 play.

Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.

8. UCLA (11-9, 3-4)

Just when prospects were looking up for the Bruins, everything came crashing down during the team’s trip to the Oregon schools. Minus junior forward/center Tony Parker, UCLA struggled mightily on offense against a stingy Oregon State squad before barely showing up on defense in the team’s contest with Oregon. Prior to the season, depth and inexperience were both major concerns for the Bruins. Now, a little past the halfway mark, they appear to be insurmountable.

Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.

9. Arizona State (10-10, 2-5)

As we enter the lower third of these conference rankings, it is difficult to declare one team as being unequivocally better than the other. One could argue that Arizona State is the worst team in the conference – this team was ranked that low just last week – but a recent surge has brought the Sun Devils up from the lowly depths of the No. 12 spot. The Sun Devils are not a polished team – they have serious problems scoring and rebounding – but I give them the nod over the three lower-ranked teams for no reason other than forward Shaquielle McKissic’s authoritative dunking abilities.

Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.

10. Washington State (9-10, 3-4)

After a surprisingly solid start to conference play, the Cougars had a significant relapse in the Rocky Mountain series this weekend. They lost to Utah and Colorado by a combined 54 points, setting new season-highs in points allowed in the process. Looking at the bright side, Washington State has a home game against Cal on Thursday, which could turn things in a positive direction again. But if the Cougars lose that one, they appear destined for a tailspin.

Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.

11. USC (9-10, 1-6)

USC is ahead of Cal based on its head-to-head victory over the Bears back on Jan. 7. Also, the Trojans have at least put up a fight in their conference losses, while the Bears have basically flopped, losing each of their last four games by an average of 21.8 points. A bright spot for the Trojans recently has been their ability to remain competitive even when starting point guard and leading assister Jordan McLaughlin has struggled. McLaughlin made just six of his 26 shots over the past week, but USC only lost by single digits to solid teams in Oregon and Oregon State.

Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.

12. Cal (11-9, 1-6)

Cal has lost any semblance of credibility since conference play has started. After starting the year 10-1, the Bears have lost five of their first six conference games by double digits. After a 25-point loss at home to lowly Arizona State on Thursday, it seems apparent that Cal has just lost its resolve.

Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.

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