Pac-12 Basketball: Jan. 2 Power Rankings

As non-conference play finally wraps up and a new slate of Pac-12 games begin, we begin our power rankings for basketball in 2018.

Only a small sample of head-to-head in the Pac-12 is available, but we’ve learned much from it and some terrific non-con games as well.

Here’s how the conference stacks up:

Madden: Though I certainly believe Arizona is the more talented team, ASU has absolutely earned the number one spot in the power rankings because of their impressive resumé, one that is far better than U of A’s. There’s a pretty big drop off between Arizona/ASU and UCLA. A couple teams have underperformed a bit though in Colorado and Oregon State, both of whom have some impressive freshmen and returning starters I expect to make an impact. Utah/USC/Washington/Oregon are all about the same to me thus far, with the first two near the top solely because of their rosters.

Tonis: The Sun Devils may be the highest ranked team in the conference, but no one is hotter than the Arizona Wildcats, who have won eight straight since their nightmare trip to the Bahamas. This week’s game between the two at McKale Center proved that both teams are forces to be reckoned with, not only in the Pac-12, but around the country. The rest of the conference, however, has underwhelmed. Outside of UCLA’s win over Kentucky, no one has been able to grab any attention, with four teams within a game of .500 through the first weekend of conference play.