ASU Basketball: 2019 Pac-12 Week 4 Power Rankings

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Bobby Hurley of the Arizona State Sun Devils looks on during the second half of the championship game against the Utah State Aggies in the MGM Resorts Main Event basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on November 21, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Arizona State won 87-82. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Bobby Hurley of the Arizona State Sun Devils looks on during the second half of the championship game against the Utah State Aggies in the MGM Resorts Main Event basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on November 21, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Arizona State won 87-82. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 07: (L-R) Ronnie Stacy #2 and head coach Wayne Tinkle of the Oregon State Beavers congratulate Tres Tinkle #3 as he comes off the court during a break late in a first-round game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Washington Huskies at T-Mobile Arena on March 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Beavers won 69-66 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 07: (L-R) Ronnie Stacy #2 and head coach Wayne Tinkle of the Oregon State Beavers congratulate Tres Tinkle #3 as he comes off the court during a break late in a first-round game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Washington Huskies at T-Mobile Arena on March 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Beavers won 69-66 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

T-9: Oregon State Beavers

Just over a week ago, Oregon State suffered its first loss of the 2018-19 season, falling to Missouri in the Paradise Jam. That game was defined by too many sloppy mistakes from the Beavers, who recorded six more turnovers than the Tigers.

But the team has responded nicely.

Since then, the Beavers have won games against two solid mid-major opponents – Penn and Long Beach State.

Against the Quakers, the Beavers got off to a slow start and only led by two at the half, but a strong shooting effort helped propel a victory. Tres Tinkle, who leads the team in scoring with 20.2 points per game, scored 32 points in the win while shooting 12-for-20 from the field.

A game later, the scoring efforts were distributed. Tinkle was once again in double figures with 12 points, but so were four other Beavers. This time, the leader was Ethan Thompson, who contributed with 18.

This diffusion of scoring helped Oregon State narrowly defeat Long Beach State 75-72 and improve the Beavers’ record to 5-1 on the new season.

Oregon State is just one of four teams in the Pac-12 with one or fewer losses, along with Arizona State, Colorado and Washington State. Before beginning conference play, the Beavers have six more non-conference games.

Two of those contests are against Kent State and Saint Louis, both of whom have proved their legitimacies as solid mid-majors in the early season. Oregon State also faces a struggling Texas A&M team in the Dam City Classic.

Carson Field