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Best of the West MBB power rankings: UCLA keeps edge on Gonzaga, as WSU climbs a spot to No. 10

<p><p><em>The Best of the West offers fans a candid assessment of the top teams in the western third of the country – a collection that includes the Mountain West and the former Pac-12 schools now scattered across the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and West Coast Conference.</em></p></p><p><p><em>The rankings will be published on the Hotline each Monday through the remainder of the regular season.</em></p></p><p><h3>1. UCLA (11-2/2-0 Big Ten)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> 1</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> beat Gonzaga 65-62</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 14</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> at Nebraska (Saturday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> The Bruins were a blown lead against North Carolina away from sweeping the Tar Heels, Oregon, Arizona and Gonzaga over four consecutive December weekends. (Tough to complain about winning three of the four.)</p></p><p><h3>2. Gonzaga (10-4/1-0 WCC)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> 2</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> lost to UCLA 65-62, beat Pepperdine 89-72</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 7</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> vs. Portland (Thursday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> The Zags lost to UConn, Kentucky and UCLA by a combined 10 points, a series of results that arguably reflects a team good enough to reach the Elite Eight but not make the Final Four.</p></p><p><h3>3. Utah State (13-1/3-0 MWC)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> 6</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> beat San Diego State 67-66; beat Nevada 69-64</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 26</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> Fresno State (Saturday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> Granted, UC San Diego is having a surprisingly impressive season. But Utah State’s home loss to the Tritons makes less sense with each passing day as the Aggies stack wins over possible NCAA Tournament teams.</p></p><p><h3>4. San Diego St. (8-3/1-1 MWC)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> 3</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> lost to Utah State 67-66</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 48</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> at Boise State (Saturday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> No secret to which end of the floor needs work: The Aztecs are 14th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency (per the Pomeroy ratings) and 82nd on the offensive side.</p></p><p><h3>5. Arizona State (9-3/0-1 Big 12)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> 4</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Lost at BYU 76-56.</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 51</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> Colorado (Saturday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> There will be no easing into the Big 12 schedule for ASU, which opened conference play with a loss in Provo, Utah, and makes the pilgrimage to Allen Fieldhouse next week.</p></p><p><h3>6. Oregon (12-1/1-1 Big Ten)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> 5</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> beat Weber State 89-49</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 10</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> vs. Illinois (Thursday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> Unless something goes completely haywire in the fabulous SEC, Oregon’s wins over Texas A&amp;M and Alabama should provide plenty of resume cushion as the Ducks navigate the Big Ten.</p></p><p><h3>7. Saint Mary’s (11-3/1-0 WCC)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> 7</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> beat Pacific 70-60</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 55</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> vs. Pepperdine (Thursday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> The Gaels don’t have any bad losses to this point. The problem is their lineup of victories: Seven are of the Quadrant IV variety – and that imbalance doesn’t figure to improved substantially in WCC play.</p></p><p><h3>8. Colorado (9-3/0-1 Big 12)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> 8</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> lost to Iowa State 79-69</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 84</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> at Arizona State (Saturday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> Home losses in the Big 12 are far more damaging than they were in the Pac-12 because winning on the road in conference play is vastly more difficult.</p></p><p><h3>9. Arizona (7-5/1-0 Big 12)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> 9</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> beat TCU 90-81</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 24</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> at Cincinnati (Saturday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> If Caleb Love plays like that, well, sure: Count the Wildcats as a contender in the Big 12. But Love might go weeks before he makes four 3-pointers in a game, much less match the five he drained against TCU.</p></p><p><h3>10. WSU (12-3/2-0 WCC)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> 11</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> beat Portland 89-73 and LMU 73-59</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 67</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> vs. San Francisco (Saturday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> Yes, it feels weird to type West Coast Conference next to WSU’s name. Not sure how long it will take the Hotline to get used to it. (Probably until June 30, 2026.)</p></p><p><h3>11. New Mexico (11-3/3-0 MWC)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> 10</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> beat Colorado State 76-68; beat Fresno State 103-89</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 78</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> Nevada (Friday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> How many first-rate wins are required to offset the loss to New Mexico State? The Hotline’s supercomputer has run 10,000 simulations so far without an answer.</p></p><p><h3>12. Boise State (11-3/3-0 MWC)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> 12</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> beat San Jose State 73-71; beat Wyoming 67-58</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 54</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> San Diego State (Saturday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> The Broncos could have won by 50 or lost by 50 Tuesday in Laramie, Wyoming, and nobody in Boise would have noticed.</p></p><p><h3>13. BYU (10-2/1-0 Big 12)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> 13</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Beat Arizona State 76-56.</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 46</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> at Houston (Saturday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> With a nonconference schedule ranked 350th (by Pomeroy) and no Quad I wins, the Cougars are in danger of much worse treatment from the NCAA Tournament selection committee than they received from its College Football Playoff counterpart.</p></p><p><h3>14. UCSD (12-2/2-0 Big West)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> Not ranked</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> beat Occidental 109-51</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 58</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> at Fullerton (Saturday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> The Tritons’ first showdown with UC Irvine is Jan. 11 at LionTree Arena; the second meeting, in Irvine, is set for early February.</p></p><p><h3>15. Oregon State (11-3/1-0 WCC)</h3></p><p><p><strong>Last week:</strong> 14</p></p><p><p><strong>Results:</strong> lost to Oakland 80-74, beat Portland 89-79</p></p><p><p><strong>NET ranking:</strong> 56</p></p><p><p><strong>Next up:</strong> at LMU (Thursday)</p></p><p><p><strong>Comment:</strong> Not on our bingo card for 2024-25: Oregon State owning a top-60 NET ranking halfway through the season, especially with a fairly weak nonconference schedule.</p></p><p><p><strong>Also considered:</strong> Cal, Grand Canyon, Nevada, San Francisco, Stanford, UC Irvine, USC and Utah</p></p>

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