Best of the West WBB power rankings: It’s UCLA and everyone else as conference tournaments begin
The Best of the West offers fans a candid assessment of the top teams in the western third of the country — a collection that includes the Mountain West and the former Pac-12 schools now scattered across the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and West Coast Conference. The rankings will be published on the Hotline weekly throughout the regular season.
Results through Monday
1. UCLA (28-1, 18-0 Big Ten)
Last week: 1
Results: won at USC 73-50
NET ranking: No. 2
Up next: Big Ten tournament quarterfinals (Friday)
Comment: UCLA is the first undefeated Big Ten champion since Maryland in 2014-15 and just the fourth ever. The Bruins dominated rival USC for a second time, increasing their winning streak to 22 games going into the conference tournament, where they will open against the USC-Washington winner. They are the No. 2 overall seed in the final early NCAA Tournament preview released by the selection committee.
2. Washington (20-9, 10-8 Big Ten)
Last week: 5
Results: won at Oregon 70-69
NET ranking: No. 27
Up next: vs. USC (Thursday)
Comment: The region’s season-long unpredictability (other than UCLA) continues with 14 teams in new positions in the power rankings. That includes Washington, up three spots after its second victory in two weeks over Oregon. The Huskies reached 20 wins for the first time since 2016-17 and open against USC in the Big Ten tournament.
3. Oregon (20-11, 8-10 Big Ten)
Last week: 4
Results: won at Purdue 71-65, lost to Washington 70-69
NET ranking: No. 26
Up next: vs. Purdue (Wednesday)
Comment: Oregon led Washington by two points with 21 seconds remaining but couldn’t close and dropped to the No. 11 seed in the Big Ten tournament. That means the Ducks have a first-round date with Purdue, the second meeting between those teams in eight days. The winner plays 14th-ranked Maryland.
4. Colorado (20-10, 11-7 Big 12)
Last week: 3
Results: lost to Utah 67-64 and at BYU 75-62
NET ranking: No. 46
Up next: Big 12 tournament second round (Thursday)
Comment: Colorado seemed like a sure thing for the NCAA Tournament after a five-game winning streak and upset of No. 21 Texas Tech, only to lose its last two games of the regular season. The Buffaloes led by eight after three quarters against BYU but were outscored 26-7 in the fourth. They will play the Kansas-UCF winner in their Big 12 tournament opener.
5. USC (17-12, 9-9 Big Ten)
Last week: 2
Results: lost at Penn State 85-82 and to UCLA 73-50
NET ranking: No. 22
Up next: vs. Washington (Thursday)
Comment: USC went 0-3 to end the regular season, including a shocking loss to 11-win Penn State. The Trojans still are projected by ESPN as a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. (The same goes for Oregon while Washington is a No. 7 seed.) They beat Washington 59-50 on Dec. 7 and play the Huskies again in the Big Ten tournament.
6. San Diego State (24-4, 18-1 Mountain West)
Last week: 7
Results: won at Boise State 66-64, beat Wyoming 70-51
NET ranking: No. 68
Up next: at Air Force (Tuesday)
Comment: Mountain West champion San Diego State is on a seven-game winning streak going into its regular-season finale. The Aztecs open play in the conference tournament quarterfinals Sunday against the No. 8-9 winner, which could mean facing Air Force for the second time in six days.
7. BYU (20-10, 9-9 Big 12)
Last week: 11
Results: won at Arizona State 66-61, beat Colorado 75-62
NET ranking: No. 57
Up next: vs. Houston (Wednesday)
Comment: BYU put together its first Big 12 winning streak at the right time with wins over Utah (Feb. 21), ASU and Colorado with an epic fourth quarter that included an 18-0 run. The Cougars still are on the NCAA Tournament bubble. With a win over Houston, they will face Utah again in the Big 12 tournament second round.
8. Utah (19-11, 10-8 Big 12)
Last week: 9
Results: won at Colorado 67-64, beat Arizona 81-67
NET ranking: No. 55
Up next: Big 12 tournament second round (Thursday)
Comment: After a 1-4 stretch, Utah finished strong to earn the No. 8 seed and a first-round bye in the Big 12 tournament. Lani White scored 21 against Colorado and has reached double figures in 16 of her last 18 games. The Utes are 0-2 against BYU, their potential Big 12 tournament opponent.
9. Arizona State (22-9, 9-9 Big 12)
Last week: 6
Results: lost to BYU 66-61 and at Texas Tech 58-51
NET ranking: No. 52
Up next: vs. Arizona (Wednesday)
Comment: Arizona State was outscored in the third quarter 28-11 by BYU and 22-9 by Texas Tech, losing both games by a combined 12 points. That puts the Sun Devils in an unenviable third rivalry game against Arizona to open the Big 12 tournament, with Iowa State potentially in the second round.
10. Loyola Marymount (21-8, 15-3 WCC)
Last week: 14
Results: won at San Francisco 66-57 and Oregon State 71-69 (OT)
NET ranking: No. 112
Up next: WCC tournament semifinals (Monday)
Comment: Loyola Marymount won its second regular-season WCC title, and first since 2003-04, with a dramatic overtime win for a sweep of Oregon State. Andjela Matic hit a game-winning 3-pointer with two seconds left and is the WCC Player of the Week. The Lions could meet Oregon State again in the WCC semifinals.
11. Gonzaga (22-9, 14-4 WCC)
Last week: 8
Results: beat Saint Mary’s 75-67, lost at Portland 92-91 (OT)
NET ranking: No. 64
Up next: WCC tournament semifinals (March 9)
Comment: Gonzaga’s first regular-season loss to Portland since 2009 cost the Zags at least a share of their fourth consecutive WCC title. Lauren Whittaker had 30 points and 10 rebounds in the loss, earning a record 13th WCC Freshman of the Week award. The Zags are the No. 2 seed in the WCC tournament, which determines the league’s NCAA automatic bid.
12. Stanford (19-12, 8-10 ACC)
Last week: 13
Results: beat SMU 87-57 and Clemson 85-50
NET ranking: No. 42
Up next: vs. Miami (Wednesday)
Comment: Stanford had arguably its best week since late December, keeping its NCAA Tournament hopes alive with an unexpected blowout of defensive-minded Clemson. Nunu Agara had 24 points and 10 rebounds and freshman Hailee Swain added a season-high 20 points. The Cardinal face Miami in the ACC tournament opener for a chance to meet Notre Dame on Thursday.
13. Cal (18-13, 9-9 ACC)
Last week: 10
Results: lost to Clemson 70-63, beat SMU 78-34
NET ranking: No. 53
Up next: vs. Wake Forest (Wednesday)
Comment: Even with a loss to Clemson, Cal is seeded higher than Stanford in the ACC tournament and has an easier path in the first two rounds. The 10th-seeded Bears open against No. 15 Wake Forest with a chance to face No. 7 Syracuse on Thursday. They lost in three overtimes at Syracuse on Jan. 15.
14. Idaho (26-5, 17-1 Big Sky)
Last week: 15
Results: won at Northern Arizona 85-57, beat Northern Colorado 55-41 and Eastern Washington 75-64
NET ranking: No. 100
Up next: Big Sky tournament second round (Sunday)
Comment: Idaho tied a school record Monday with its 15th consecutive win, capturing the Big Sky regular season title for the first time since 2018-19. Arthur Moreira, in his second season, is the first Brazilian head coach in Division I history.
15. Montana State (23-6, 16-2 Big Sky)
Last week: 12
Results: won at Portland State 66-63 and Sacramento State 61-54, beat Northern Arizona 68-48
NET ranking: No. 69
Up next: Big Sky tournament second round (Sunday)
Comment: Montana State closed the season on a seven-game winning streak but finished a game behind Idaho after losing in overtime to the Vandals on Feb. 5. The Bobcats also have a victory over Idaho, so a potential rubber meeting in the Big Sky tournament final could determine the conference’s NCAA qualifier.
Also considered: Colorado State, UC Irvine, Boise State
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