A Quadrant 4 loss to Princeton derailed ASU basketball’s national praise. And the rest of the Pac-12 didn’t help, either.
For Pac-12 basketball, nothing may be more valuable than separation.
In a non-conference slate where the league finished with no ranked teams, several mid-major losses and one Quadrant 1 team, it’s hard to find a squad that can call itself in anomaly.
Arizona State, at 9-3, would be the closest thing. But after a home loss to Princeton – a Quadrant 4 opponent ranked No. 201 in the NCAA’s NET Rankings – their name fell in the gutter, like many of their conference peers.
Two hours south, coach Sean Miller is in the midst of a rebuild at Arizona – making the Wildcats an unlikely candidate to attract national attention. The next-best candidate, and perhaps the nation’s most storied program – UCLA – just fired its coach after a 15-point loss to Liberty on its home floor.
Similar frustrations carried through the rest of the league. Washington State and Ernie Kent suffered an 8-point home defeat to Santa Clara, adding warmth to his hot seat. Colorado lost to Indiana State (with no Larry Bird), possibly discrediting their 9-3 start to the season.
And when it was all said and done, the conference finished with a 38-36 record (.514) in December. That doesn’t bode well for seeking multiple bids in March.
Luckily, 2019 is here, giving each team a fresh start. With conference play set to begin tomorrow, here’s where we ranked each team in our Power Rankings: