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College Basketball Pac-12 Power Rankings: Week 10

By Andrew Hammond

Jan 4, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Tyler Dorsey (5) and Oregon Ducks forward Dillon Brooks (24) walk back to the locker room following an 83-61 victory against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Tyler Dorsey (5) and Oregon Ducks forward Dillon Brooks (24) walk back to the locker room following an 83-61 victory against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Pac-12 is starting to take shape. Ok wait, how did Washington State get here?

We’re about to enter the third week of conference play for the Pac-12 and the conference is starting to figure itself out. Teams like Oregon, Arizona and UCLA continue to carry the banner for the conference. Meanwhile, USC and Cal continue to fight their way into the conversation of the conference’s elite.

This week offers quite an entertaining slate of games with both LA schools heading to the mountains this weekend. Upsets are quite possible with USC going on the road at Utah and Colorado. Then you’ve got Washington State who currently sits at 2-1 in the conference a sweep in the bay area this weekend would put the conference on notice for sure.

12

Oregon State Beavers

Last week: 4-13 (0-4 Pac-12)
Last rank: N/A

Four games into the conference slate and Oregon State is firmly cementing itself as the worst team in the conference. While the Beavers, along with Stanford, are still winless in the conference it’s the squad who wears orange and black that’s by far the bottom feeder of the conference. The Beavers have averaged 65.7 points per game which ranks in the lower third of all division one basketball — yikes.

This week Oregon State goes up against in-state rival Oregon in a game that might mirror a junior varsity team going up against the varsity. Things don’t get better after that, three of the next five games have the Beavers playing at Utah, at Colorado and against Arizona. Before those three teams the Beavers will host Stanford in a game that will produce our worst team in the conference. Can’t you just taste the excitement?

11

Stanford Cardinal

Last week: 8-8 (0-4 Pac-12)
Last rank: N/A

Stanford, like Oregon State, has gotten off to a slow start in the conference. When you have to face Arizona and then take trips to USC and UCLA, that is never easy. Currently sitting at .500 for the regular season overall, it’s possible that things could take a positive turn for the Cardinal as they host both Washington and Washington State.

Stanford’s issues are mostly on the defensive end as they rank dead last in the conference in scoring defense allowing 87 points per game in conference. It’s pretty easy to analyze why Stanford has struggled — when you allow a bunch of points while struggling to score them then you won’t win games. Stanford has a chance to right some of the wrongs in conference as they face a wounded Washington team and will face a Washington State team that we have doubts about.