Pac-12 MBB power rankings: Gonzaga on top after in-state sweep while San Diego State, Fresno State rise
Welcome to the latest installment of the Hotline’s Pac-12 men’s basketball power rankings, our weekly assessment of a conference that doesn’t exist (yet) using results, analytics and a dash of common sense. The power rankings will be published each Monday through the end of the regular season. Here is last week’s edition.
Results and NET rankings through Sunday
1. Gonzaga (19-1)
Result: won at Washington State 86-65 and Seattle 71-50
NET ranking: No. 4
Comment: It won’t be confused with beating Alabama, Kentucky or UCLA, but the blowout win at Seattle without Graham Ike and Braden Huff, who average 36 points and 14 rebounds per game, was impressive in its own fashion. (Previous: 1)
2. San Diego State (13-4)
Result: won at Wyoming 74-57, beat New Mexico 83-79
NET ranking: No. 46
Comment: Over the past month, the Aztecs have climbed 37 spots in the NET rankings, placing themselves on the outskirts of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Two issues likely will linger: the loss to Troy, a Quadrant III result, and Oregon’s inability to gain traction in the Big Ten, which undermines SDSU’s double-digit victory over the Ducks in Las Vegas. (Previous: 3)
3. Utah State (15-2)
Result: beat Nevada 71-62, lost at Grand Canyon 84-74
NET ranking: No. 21
Comment: The Aggies picked the right opponent and location for a clunker. GCU is 90th in the NET rankings, meaning the result counts as a Quadrant II loss for Utah State — and therefore should have limited impact on the metrics. (Previous: 2)
4. Boise State (10-8)
Result: lost at UNLV 89-85, beat Colorado State 79-73
NET ranking: No. 83
Comment: The 8-3 start feels like a decade ago, but Boise State’s downturn doesn’t come as a complete surprise. If you can lose at home to Hawaii Pacific, you can lose to anyone, anywhere, at any time. (Previous: 4)
5. Washington State (8-12)
Result: lost to Gonzaga 86-65 and at San Francisco 85-80
NET ranking: No. 144
Comment: A difficult stretch ends with three consecutive losses, but there’s reason for hope: The Cougars have a slew of winnable games for the remainder of the month and the first part of February. (Previous: 5)
6. Oregon State (10-11)
Result: beat LMU 76-70, lost to Pacific 81-64
NET ranking: No. 209
Comment: That’s two losses to Pacific in less than three weeks by a combined 48 points — a fireable offense, if you ask us. Then again, the Beavers have committed a lot of fireable offenses in recent years without an actual firing. (Previous: 7)
7. Fresno State (9-9)
Result: beat Colorado State 79-69 and Wyoming 63-60
NET ranking: No. 139
Comment: Proof of life in The Valley stands as an important development for the rebuilt Pac-12, which needs the Bulldogs to compete for NCAA Tournament bids on a regular basis. (Previous: 8)
8. Colorado State (11-7)
Result: lost at Fresno State 79-69 and Boise State 79-73
NET ranking: No. 94
Comment: Five losses in seven games is not cause for alarm in Fort Collins thanks to a reasonably soft February schedule that offers the Rams a chance to regain their November and December momentum. (Previous: 6)
9. Texas State (11-9)
Result: beat Louisiana 59-54 and Southern Mississippi 74-67
NET ranking: No. 266
Comment: Difficult as the road has been (in particular, the four-game road trip), the Bobcats are within reasonable reach of their best regular season in four years. (Previous: 9)
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