ASU Basketball: 2019 Pac-12 Week 3 Power Rankings

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 19: Taeshon Cherry #35 of the Arizona State Sun Devils and Arizona State bench react after the team defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs 72-67 in a semifinal game of the MGM Resorts Main Event basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on November 19, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 19: Taeshon Cherry #35 of the Arizona State Sun Devils and Arizona State bench react after the team defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs 72-67 in a semifinal game of the MGM Resorts Main Event basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on November 19, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
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TUCSON, AZ – MARCH 03: Juhwan Harris-Dyson #2 of the California Golden Bears reacts during the second half of the college basketball game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on March 3, 2018 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated the Golden Bears 66-54 to win the PAC-12 Championship. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TUCSON, AZ – MARCH 03: Juhwan Harris-Dyson #2 of the California Golden Bears reacts during the second half of the college basketball game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on March 3, 2018 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated the Golden Bears 66-54 to win the PAC-12 Championship. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

12. California Golden Bears

Another season, another rough start for the California Golden Bears. The Bears opened up their season against Yale and lost by 17 points, then fell to St. Johns and Temple by 3 and 17 points, respectively. Not bad right?

Wrong. This program is really struggling.

With three tough-pill-to-swallow losses in the season’s first four games, they find themselves among the worst of the Pac-12. Just two years ago, Cal finished the season 21-13, but a slew of bad offseasons mired by off the court issues have sent the Bears to the bottom of the Pac-12 rankings.

Luckily, the age-old program will have a chance at redemption next Monday against Santa Clara, the home of former NBA Two-Time MVP Steve Nash. The Broncos have started the season off on the worst possible note, sitting with a record of 0-4 while failing to keep a game within single digits this season.

So if there is a time for the Bears to get back on track, actually just get near the tracks, it’s this Monday against Santa Clara.

Leading the way for Cal are Paris Austin, Darius McNeill and Justice Sueing. Austin leads the team with 18.3 points per game and is shooting an impressive 52 percent from the field.

Fear not Cal fans, this team is young, hungry and will eventually rise to relevance inside the Pac-12 once more.

– Richard Geraffo