Pac-12 Basketball Power Rankings: Arizona, Washington State hit 20 wins, Utah slips
By Mason Duhon
Playing spoiler
S. Last week: 7. . 7. 12-13, 7-8 in Pac-12. . . 517. .
Stanford has had a rough go lately, having gone winless on the weekend and dropping five of the last seven. They got boat-raced by Washington before falling short against a strong Washington State group.
Maxime Reynaud was a force to be reckoned with against Washington in Seattle, posting an eye-popping 19 points and 16 rebounds to earn his 10th double-double of the season. Brandon Angel matched Reynaud's 19 points as well, but it wasn't enough to slow down a Washington team that was clicking offensively. Stanford dropped the contest by 20 points in the 85-65 loss.
The sailing wasn't much smoother against a Washington State team that's catching fire at the perfect time. Stanford trailed by 10 before rallying to take a 1-point lead on the back of a 23-12 run. Angel led the team in scoring again, this time with 15 points, and the Cardinal held a 1-point halftime lead. However, it was all too good to be true, and Stanford couldn't keep its foot on the gas in the 72-59 loss.
Next week: Stanford will get a crack at an Oregon team that just barely escaped rivalry week on Thursday before getting to feast on Oregon State on Saturday.
. 8. 512. . Last week: 8. . ASU. . 13-13, 7-8 in Pac-12. team
Arizona State has turned a corner recently and simply had the misfortune of running into the buzz-saw that is Arizona. They capitalized on Arizona wearing Utah down last weekend and finally ended the losing streak before taking care of business against Oregon State on Valentine's Day.
Against Oregon State on Wednesday, the game went into halftime tied at 33-33. However, Arizona State put on a thunderous second half and jumped out to as much as a 21-point lead en route to the 79-61 win. Jamiya Neal was rolling with 21 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal while coming off the bench. Meanwhile, three other Arizona State players hit double-digit scoring.
The good vibes didn't last for long, though, as the trip Arizona State took to Tucson left them battered and bruised. It was to be expected; the Sun Devils are a scrappy team at best while Arizona is not only the best in the conference, but one of the best teams in the nation. Adam Miller posted a team-leading 16 points, while Neal notched 12 and a team-leading six rebounds. However, it wasn't enough to stave off a beatdown by the red-hot 'Cats.
Next week: Arizona State will look to get right against Washington at home on Thursday before powerhouse Washington State comes to Tempe on Saturday.
Cal. . . . . 11-15, 7-8 in Pac-12. Last week: 10. 9. . 2287
At this point in the season, facing either of two teams spells disaster. Cal has to face one of them on Thursday when they played now-No. 21 Washington State in Pullman. It's forgivable to lose there, but winning on the road against Washington is right in line with expectations for Cal this season.
Washington State is right next to Arizona as one of the buzz-saws at the top of the conference, and Cal is a team that has proven to be inconsistent against the better of the two teams in their weekend pairings. Jaylon Tyson led the scoring as per usual with 18 points and Fardaws Aimaq hauled in 11 rebounds, but not much else was happening for Cal. Washington State put a near-20-point beatdown on the Golden Bears in the 84-65 loss.
Cal bounced back in a big way against Washington in hostile territory. Tyson posted a game-high 28 points, with 21 of them coming in the first half, and Aimaq posted a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Jalen Celestine only finished with 8 points but nailed the 3-pointer to put Cal ahead with just five seconds left in the game. The Golden Bears held on for the 82-80 win and have split their fifth straight weekend pair series.
Next week: Cal will look to build even more momentum when Oregon State comes to play in Haas Pavilion on Thursday before taking on a weakened Oregon team on Saturday.
Last week: 9. . . 14-12, 6-9 in Pac-12. 10. 521. . . team. UW
Washington played out of its mind offensively over the weekend, but were only rewarded with one win as the Huskies fell victim to the pattern that Cal has established over the season.
The weekend started with Stanford coming to town, and Koren Johnson responding by scoring a career-high 30 points coming off the bench for the Huskies. Meanwhile, Keion Brooks Jr. dropped 20 points and Braxton Meah reeled in 11 rebounds on the way to an 85-65 thrashing of the Cardinal. Washington secured a 2-point lead heading into halftime and never looked back as they routed Stanford.
They didn't get so lucky against Cal, though. Brooks Jr. led the way this time with 26 points and three other Huskies joined him in double figures as Washington led 75-70 with just under four and a half minutes in the game. However, Cal created some late-game magic and nailed a 3-pointer with just seconds left to seal the 82-80 loss for Washington.
Next week: Washington will look to capitalize on Arizona State's slip-up on Saturday in Tempe before heading south to face a rolling Arizona team in Tucson on Saturday.