Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Power Rankings: Just Getting Started
Jan 3, 2024, 9:53 AM | Updated: 9:54 am
SALT LAKE CITY – Pac-12 men’s basketball is off and running in its final season of conference play as all 12 schools begin to look at futures in other conferences next season.
The “Conference of Champions” only has one team currently ranked in the AP Top 25 in No. 10 Arizona, while Utah has received votes the past few weeks and could be on the cusp of breaking in.
While it’s been a few years since the Pac-12 has been terribly compelling in men’s basketball, the conference is off to an interesting start in league play. Let’s take a closer look.
POLL ALERT: Purdue stays atop AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll; Gonzaga falls to No. 24 but runs its poll streak to 142 weeks.
Full poll: https://t.co/ZJG5mgWrsa pic.twitter.com/cHLdjj5cKj
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) January 1, 2024
How Things Shook Out In Week One Of Conference Play
Despite being the only ranked team, Arizona showed some vulnerabilities opening league play 1-1 with a loss to Stanford who is only 6-6 overall on the season.
On the other hand, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, and ASU got off to really strong starts going 2-0 to open league play.
Currently, Utah and Colorado hold the best overall records in the conference at 11-2 with Oregon and Arizona right behind them at 10-3.
2024 = Amazing opportunities ahead‼️💪 pic.twitter.com/AFUz8D71Y0
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) January 2, 2024
Most Compelling Matchups In Week Two
Utah and Colorado head to the desert this week to take on the Arizona schools and this feels like the most interesting set of matchups to watch early on in league play.
As mentioned above, Utah and Colorado have the best overall records and are 2-0 in league play. The Utes are also on the cusp of sneaking into the AP Top 25.
The Arizona schools, and particularly ranked Arizona will be a very good litmus test for where the Utes and Buffs truly stand in Pac-12 hierarchy while also testing just how good the Wildcats are.
Additionally, Oregon who is also in the upper echelon of the conference early on will be taking on the Washington schools whom Utah and Colorado swept over the past weekend. This is another set of games that has the potential to really showcase where everyone is.
Ended 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣3️⃣ with a 💥‼️ pic.twitter.com/TIvaSN3KC0
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) January 3, 2024
Pac-12 Power Rankings 2023 Season: After Week One
- Utah, (11-2, 2-0)
- Colorado (11-2, 2-0)
- Arizona (10-3, 1-1)
- Oregon (10-3, 1-1)
- Arizona State (8-5, 2-0)
- Oregon State (9-4, 1-1)
- Washington State (9-4, 0-2)
- Washington (8-5, 0-2)
- Stanford (6-6, 1-1)
- UCLA (6-7, 1-1)
- USC (6-7, 0-2)
- Cal (4-9, 0-2)
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for KSLsports.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on X, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports
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