By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
Oregon retains the top spot in our latest Power Rankings at midseason despite losing two of its last three.
Arizona, UCLA, and Gonzaga have also had setbacks but continue to make noise in the Big 12, Big Ten, and WCC.
Here’s how I see the Top 10 squads from the West stacking up heading into Week 13.
1. Oregon (5-4, 16-4)
The Ducks dropped a game on the road to Minnesota last week and have lost two of their last three contests. Facing UCLA in Westwood this Thursday, the spotlight is on Oregon.
Dana Altman’s team has been at the perceived top of the West in the early part of the conference season. But the Bruins are getting back on track while Oregon has stumbled.
Beating UCLA at Pauley Pavilion would underscore why the Ducks are viewed as the top team in the region.
2. Arizona (7-1, 13-6)
All six of Arizona’s losses are Quad 1 defeats. It’s an ugly stat, but the Wildcats don’t have a bad loss on their resume.
At 5-6 in combined Quad 1 and Quad 2 games, only Gonzaga has a higher NET ranking out of the teams from the West.
The Cats have a Quad 1 opportunity against Iowa State at McKale Center on Monday and another on Saturday against Arizona State in Tempe.
3. UCLA (5-4, 14-6)
Coming off wins over Wisconsin and Washington, the Bruins are back above .500 in the Big Ten.
Sitting at 5-4 in the Conference, the outlook on the season has turned positive. But the next stretch of games are crucial.
UCLA plays USC at the Galen Center and then hosts Oregon, Michigan State, and Penn State. The emergence of Aday Mara puts Mick Cronin’s team in position to win all four of those games.
4. Gonzaga (6-2, 15-6)
The Zags played just once last week after dropping back-to-back matchups against Oregon State and Santa Clara.
The 105-62 win over Portland will be meaningless if Gonzaga doesn’t win its next two games. Oregon State comes to The Kennel on Tuesday and then the team heads to Moraga to face Saint Mary’s.
It’s midseason and the pressure is on. Don’t be surprised when Gonzaga goes 2-0 this week for an emphatic response.
5. Utah State (8-1, 18-2)
The impressive margins of victory over Nevada and Air Force keep Utah State at the perceived top of the Mountain West.
The nonconference win over Saint Mary’s continues to look better as the Gaels remain unbeaten in the WCC.
But the Aggies face a critical week in their season. UNLV comes to Logan and then the team heads to The Pit to face New Mexico in Albuquerque.
Perceptions can change quickly and the time to deliver is now.
6. New Mexico (9-1, 17-4)
Credit Richard Pitino and his staff for rallying the team after the disappointing loss to San Jose State on January 14th.
The Lobos have responded with three-straight wins including a two-point road victory over UNLV.
The win in Las Vegas was something Utah State could not do and UNM’s nonconference wins over UCLA and USC continue to look respectable.
But New Mexico needs more Quad 1 victories to overcome the SJSU loss.
7. Saint Mary’s (8-0, 18-3)
The Gaels won their eighth game in a row with a five-point victory over Washington State in Pullman. Earlier in the week, Saint Mary’s crushed San Francisco by 20 in Moraga.
The two wins were the first steps through a difficult stretch of their WCC schedule.
Facing Santa Clara and Gonzaga next, the ceiling of Saint Mary’s season could be illuminated with losses.
Going 2-0, on the other hand, would force the region to pay more attention to the Gaels.
8. San Diego State (6-3, 13-5)
The Aztecs stayed on the right side of the Bubble last week. The overtime win over Air Force was ugly. But the 19-point road victory over Nevada restored some confidence.
It’s hard to understate the importance of San Diego State’s nonconference wins over Houston and Creighton.
They are keeping the program in the NCAA Tournament and will remain key wins on Selection Sunday.
9. Stanford (6-3, 14-6)
Kyle Smith handled business against Miami and Florida State. Sitting on a three-game winning streak in ACC play, Stanford remains on the outskirts of the Bubble.
Joe Lunardi only projects five teams from the league to make the NCAA Tournament. The Tree are currently sixth in the ACC standings.
But at 6-3 in the Conference and undefeated at home, it might be time to start talking about Stanford as a realistic at-large contender.
10. BYU (4-4, 13-6)
BYU is surging. The Cougars are .500 in the Big 12 and posted two blowout wins last week.
The 28-point domination of Cincinnati in Provo was particularly noteworthy. The Bearcats are a reasonably good team and the margin of victory is impressive.
This Tuesday’s game against Baylor is another opportunity to show the Selection Committee that BYU deserves an at-large bid.
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.
