Buy: Oregon

Wait and See: Washington

Sleeper: USC

Game of the week: OSU vs UCLA

1. Oregon State 22-3 (13-1 Pac-12): The Beavers are still the crown jewel of the Pac-12. They have sparkled and dazzled in so many ways, en route to a 12-game winning streak. The Beavers have a rematch against the only team that has beat them in conference in UCLA this weekend.

2. Arizona State 22-4 (13-1): A weekend sweep over California and Stanford reaffirmed my confidence in the Sun Devils. They have now won four straight since their loss to OSU, and look like they have righted the ship. Up next are the Washington schools, look for the Sun Devils to continue their scorching pace.

3. UCLA 19-6 (11-3): Winning eight of their last nine, the Bruins are running like a well-oiled machine right now. They still have the distinction of being the only team in the Pac-12 to beat OSU, and will have a chance to do it this Sunday. If they beat OSU, they might jump to the No. 1 spot next week.

4. Stanford 20-6 (10-4): Stanford almost had their marquee win this season against Arizona State, but it wasn’t meant to be. The Cardinal lost on a buzzer beater to the Sun Devils, and spoiled what was a five game winning streak. The Cardinal are always going to be a force with head coach Tara Vanderveer at the helm, but have struggled to win the big games this season.

5. Oregon 19-6 (8-6): Oh man, the Ducks have been fun to watch this season. After a disastrous 0-5 start to conference play, the Ducks have now won eight of their last nine games, most recently sweeping Colorado and Utah. This is a scary good team that has the makings of being a powerhouse under second year head coach Kelly Graves. Oregon will make a big splash in the conference tournament, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were a top four seed.

6. Washington 17-8 (8-6): Since entering the AP top 25 a few weeks ago, the Huskies have been largely inconsistent as of late. Since being 25th, they have lost four of their last six. The Huskies still have the conference’s leading scorer Kelsey Plum, and will be a tough matchup for any team in the Pac-12 tournament, but need to be more consistent.

7. USC 18-8 (6-8): The Trojans move up slightly in this week’s rankings because they are riding a one game winning streak. USC split with the Washington schools this week, losing to the Huskies, while beating the Cougars. USC still has the talent, but needs to play with more poise to finish the season strong.

8. Utah 14-11 (6-8): Utah has shown flashes of good things this season, but has been largely inconsistent, most recently getting swept by UO and OSU this weekend. They lost the two games by a combined 31 points. Utah is improving under first year head coach Lynne Roberts, and will be a force in the Pac-12 sooner rather than later.

9. California 12-13 (3-11): Cal slides up to the nine spot in this week’s rankings because they are riding a one game winning streak. They crushed Arizona this week by 19 points, and showed the same poise that had them ranked earlier this season. This is a young team, and every bit of experience they gather this season will only help them next season.

10. Washington State 12-13 (3-11): Well, the Cougars aren’t the worst team in the conference, but only because Arizona and Colorado are much worse. The Cougars have been competitive recently, playing UCLA and USC very close, but haven’t been able to to seal the deal. Inconsistency has plagued the Cougs, and until they right the ship, they will be in the Pac-12’s cellar.

11. Arizona 11-15 (2-12): Things are getting ugly in the desert. Arizona has lost eight straight games, and all of those losses haven’t even been close. Arizona is playing perhaps the worst basketball in the conference right now, and unless something dramatic takes place, the Wildcats will be limping into the offseason.
12. Colorado 6-19 (1-11): The funny thing about the Buffs is, next week they might move up to the 11 spot. Arizona is struggling mightily right now, and Colorado has begun to gel more as a team, even though the wins aren’t showing up. Before losing to UO and OSU last week, they played both teams close until the fourth quarter, proving that they are getting much closer to being relevant in the Pac-12.