Pac-12 Conference Basketball: Power Rankings Through Non-Conference Play

The Pac-12 Conference hasn't necessarily gotten off to the best start this season.  Conference favorites Arizona, UCLA and California have all dropped from the preseason AP Top 25, and no Pac-12 teams are currently in the AP Top 25.  However, teams like Stanford and Oregon State have surprised to make the Pac-12 Conference race interesting heading into conference play.

Let's take a look at how each Pac-12 Conference team has performed so far in the 2011-12 season. 

No. 12 Utah Utes (3-9)

Best Win: Idaho State, 71-59

Worst Loss: Montana State, 70-64

Things have simply been rough for first-year Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak.  The Utes only have two victories against Division I opponents, and even those wins were against sub-.500 mid-major teams.

The Utes do have some hope, however.  Senior guard Josh Watkins leads the Utes in points per game with 16.1 and assists per game with 5.3.

The Utes open up conference play at fellow Pac-12 newbie Colorado on New Year's Eve.

No. 11 Arizona State Sun Devils (4-8)

Best Win: Wake Forest, 84-56

Worst Loss: Northern Arizona, 69-68

The young Sun Devils, who do not have a senior on their roster, have struggled though the non-conference slate.  While Arizona State has strong victories against Wake Forest and Tulsa, they also have questionable losses to Northern Arizona, Fresno State and Pepperdine.

Guards Keala King and Trent Lockett lead the Sun Devils in scoring in points per game with 14.2 and 13.8, respectively.

The Sun Devils open conference play at in-state rival Arizona on New Year's Eve.

No. 10 Southern California Trojans (5-8)

Best Win: Texas Christian, 83-59

Worst Loss: Cal Poly, 42-36

Southern California has also been disappointing with a sub-.500 record before conference play has even begun.  While the Trojans have played a tough non-conference slate, a loss to Cal Poly stands out.

Sophomore guard Maurice Jones has emerged as a leader for the Trojans, leading the team in points per game with 14.9.

Southern California begins conference play at California on December 29th.

No. 9 Colorado Buffaloes (7-4)

Best Win: Georgia, 70-68

Worst Loss: at Colorado State, 65-64

As Colorado plays in their first season in the Pac-12 Conference, they are faced with the challenge replacing their top four scorers from last year's team.

Under second-year head coach Tad Boyle, the Buffaloes will enter conference play with a winning record.  However, they have only established one solid victory over Georgia.

The Buffaloes still have one more non-conference matchup against Division III New Orleans on December 28th.  They will open conference play at home against Utah on December 31st. 

No. 8 Washington State Cougars (8-4)

Best Win: Santa Clara, 93-44

Worst Loss: UC Riverside, 64-63

Washington State will enter Pac-12 conference play with a solid 8-4 record.  However, they have not established a solid victory yet, and a last place finish at the 76 Classic Tournament in Anaheim hurt.  

Senior guard Faisal Aden and junior forward Brock Motum lead the Cougars in points per game with 15.3 and 14.2, respectively.

The Cougars open conference play December 29th against the Oregon Ducks.

No. 7 Washington Huskies (6-5)

Best Win: Georgia State, 91-74

Worst Loss: South Dakota State, 92-73

Washington simply hasn't lived up to expectations so far this season without a significant victory and a bad loss to South Dakota State.

The Huskies, however, are putting up significant statistics.  Led by junior center Aziz N'Diaye and freshman guard Tony Wroten, Washington is 18th in the country in points per game with 79.7 and 13th in the country in rebounds per game with 41.0.

Washington will stay at home on December 29th to take on Oregon State for their first Pac-12 game of the season.

No. 6 UCLA Bruins (7-5)

Best Win: Richmond, 71-63

Worst Loss: Loyola Marymount, 69-58

The UCLA Bruins came into the season with high expectations to win the Pac-12 conference title and to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.  However, UCLA has easily been the most disappointing team in the conference so far.

Losses in the first two games to Loyola Marymount and Mid Tenn State really hurt the Bruins.  However, the Bruins have won five straight heading into conference play, the most notable against Richmond.

UCLA will face a tough road test to begin Pac-12 play December 29th at Stanford.

No. 5 Oregon Ducks (9-3)

Best Win: at Nebraska, 83-76

Worst Loss: Brigham Young, 79-65

Led by second-year head coach Dana Altman, Oregon is looking good heading into Pac-12 conference play after losing three of their top four scorers from last season.

Kyle Singler's brother, junior E.J. Singler, and Louisiana Tech transfer senior Olu Ashaolu lead the Ducks from the forward position.

The Ducks will head over to Pullman, Washington to take on Washington State on December 29th for their first Pac-12 game.

No. 4 Arizona Wildcats (9-4)

Best Win: Clemson, 63-47

Worst Loss: San Diego State, 61-57

Arizona has returned four of its top six scorers from last season but has disappointed because of four losses to knock them out of the AP Top 25 poll.

Junior forward Solomon Hill leads the Wildcats in points, rebounds and assists.  Senior guard Kyle Fogg has put up an additional 12.1 points per game for Arizona.

The Wildcats will begin conference play on New Year's Eve at home against in-state rival Arizona State.

No. 3 Oregon State Beavers (10-2)

Best Win: Texas, 100-95 OT

Worst Loss: Idaho, 74-60

The biggest surprise in the Pac-12 heading into conference play this season is Oregon State.  Under fourth-year head coach Craig Robinson, the Beavers have only lost two games so far this season, with only one questionable performance in a loss against Idaho.

Junior guard Jared Cunningham leads the Beavers in points per game with an impressive 16.8.  Additionally, freshman and Texas-El Paso transfer Eric Moreland has been a key newcomer for the Beavers.

Oregon State will take on Washington December 29th in Seattle to open conference play.

No. 2 California Golden Bears (10-3)

Best Win: Georgia, 70-46

Worst Loss: Missouri, 92-53

Throughout non-conference play, California has looked like a team that could contend for the Pac-12 title.  All but two of California's victories have been by 20 points or more.  Additionally, two of the Golden Bear's losses were to ranked teams.

Jorge Gutierrez and Allen Crabbe hold down the guard position for the Golden Bears as head coach Mike Montgomery looks to lead the Golden Bears to the NCAA tournament after an absence in 2011.

The Golden Bears will stay at home to take on USC to open conference play December 23rd.

No. 1 Stanford Cardinal (10-2)

Best Win: North Carolina State, 76-72

Worst Loss: Butler, 71-66

Along with the Beavers, Stanford has been the other big surprise in the Pac-12 this season so far after only losing one player from last year's roster.  The Cardinal only has had two stumbling blocks to current No. 1 Syracuse and last season's NCAA tournament runner-up Butler.

Under fourth-year head coach Johnny Dawkins and senior forward-center Josh Owens, the Cardinal are in a prime position to make their first NCAA tournament berth since 2008.

Stanford will stay in Palo Alto to take on UCLA on December 29th to begin conference play.