By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
Losses only taint a season when they come in bunches.
UCLA took a hit in Champaign but bounced back in Bloomington, escaping the Midwest with a split in the Big Ten.
Arizona was not as fortunate, stumbling at Kansas State before dropping a close one to Houston at home in the Big 12.
Nonetheless, both teams appear to be in good shape as the postseason draws near.
New Mexico and Saint Mary’s are where they need to be as well, having established themselves as the class of the Mountain West and WCC, respectively.
Here’s how I see the Top 10 squads from the West stacking up heading into Week 16.
1. UCLA (10-5, 19-7)
The Bruins split their road trip to the Midwest, losing to Illinois and beating Indiana.
The win over the Hoosiers keeps UCLA trending in the right direction. Mick Cronin’s team has won eight of their last nine games and is up to No. 24 in the NET.
All seven of their losses are Quad 1 defeats.
With a two-game homestand against Minnesota and Ohio State this week, it’s fair to expect UCLA to go 2-0.
2. Arizona (11-3, 17-8)
Tommy Lloyd’s team is starting to trend in the wrong direction.
The Wildcats have lost back-to-back games and now face a capable Baylor team on the road.
But Arizona is 7-7 in Quad 1 games and proved it could match Houston’s physicality. The Cats still don’t have a bad loss on their resume and are No. 9 in the NET.
Despite the ups and downs of the season, Lloyd’s team is in good shape.
3. New Mexico (14-1, 22-4)
New Mexico has clearly established itself as the top team in the Mountain West.
But the Lobos haven’t won a game in the NCAA Tournament since 2012.
While the victories continue to stack up, it’s fair to question UNM’s ceiling. A run to the Sweet 16 might be a fair expectation.
Yet, another loss in the First Round wouldn’t be a surprise, either.
4. Saint Mary’s (13-1, 23-4)
The 21-point margin of victory over Washington State is the type of result the Selection Committee wants to see.
The WCC is a reasonably respected mid-major conference and a high seed for the Gaels is not out of the question.
This Saturday’s matchup at Gonzaga is pivotal.
A win in Spokane would force the Committee to consider Saint Mary’s as a potential four-seed.
5. Gonzaga (11-3, 20-7)
The Zags stumbled earlier this season and have been slowly regaining respect. But most of the recent wins have come against the bottom tier of the WCC.
The schedule to finish the year is much different.
The Bulldogs face Washington State on the road next, then host Saint Mary’s followed by road games at Santa Clara and San Francisco.
We are about to find out what Gonzaga is really made of.
6. BYU (8-6, 17-8)
Kevin Young’s team is on a two-game winning streak after beating West Virginia on the road and Kansas State in Provo.
Both of those wins are respectable and help boost BYU’s resume.
And now, after Utah beat Kansas, it’s expected that the Cougars get the job done as well.
From the big picture standpoint, the program last won a game in the NCAA Tournament all the way back in 2012. That should change this year.
7. Oregon (7-8, 18-8)
The Ducks are starting to regain momentum. The five-game losing streak was snapped and the team enters the week coming off back-to-back wins.
But if Oregon falls to Iowa on the road this Wednesday, the postseason expectations will change.
Dana Altman’s team is below .500 in league play and dangerously close to the middle tier of the Big Ten.
A loss in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament is a growing risk.
8. Utah State (12-3, 22-4)
The Aggies took New Mexico down to the wire in Albuquerque but were unable to leave with a win.
The defeat was the first round of a grueling schedule to finish the year.
Utah State still must face San Diego State and then goes on the road to play Boise State and Colorado State. It’s possible that USU goes 1-2 over that stretch.
And with the Mountain West in a down year, there’s no promise of an at-large bid.
9. San Diego State (10-4, 17-6)
There’s nothing that helps a resume more than a surprising margin of victory over a respected team.
The 17-point win over Boise State was what SDSU needed. The Aztecs had played four-straight close games and finally won by a comfortable margin.
At No. 50 in the NET, San Diego State is not in a guaranteed position. It can’t afford any bad losses.
This week, SDSU hosts Fresno State then faces Utah State on the road.
10. UC San Diego (12-2, 22-4)
There is almost no chance that the Big West receives an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
But the Tritons are No. 43 in the NET and would have to at least be considered by the Committee.
Locked in a championship battle with UC Irvine, the program is 2-1 in Quad 1 games and 3-0 at neutral sites.
But in all likelihood, UC San Diego must win the Big West Tournament to secure a bid.
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.
