ASU Basketball: 2019 Pac-12 Week 16 Power Rankings

3. Oregon State Beavers (16-8, 8-4 Pac-12) LW: 5

Has the balance of power on the hardwood shifted to Corvallis?

Unlikely, given the recruiting resources in Eugene. But, for the first time since 2010, Oregon State swept the Civil War, knocking off Oregon 72-57 and now sits alone in second place of the Pac-12 standings.

For reference, the last time OSU won both games of its in-state rivalry, Tik Tok by Ke$ha topped the charts and Angry Birds took the iOS world by storm.

Senior guard Stephen Thompson Jr. paced the offense with a game-high 22 points while redshirt junior Tres Tinkle added 13 points, six rebounds and seven assists in a balanced performance.

Sure, the conference lacks a powerhouse team and the Beavers don’t have the résumé to qualify for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. However, coach Wayne Tinkle deserves credit for turning around a team that’s been regarded as a pushover for much of the past two seasons.

Granted, Thompson Jr. will graduate after the season as well as the looming probability of Tinkle forgoing his final year of eligibility to turn pro. But the reason to remain optimistic about the Beavers remains intact.

With 16 wins overall (eight in conference), Tinkle can match his single-season record at OSU by notching one additional Pac-12 victory and three wins over the team’s final six games, not including the conference tournament or any postseason games. Given the state of the conference, it’s likely that both marks will be surpassed.

The Beavers will have their first chance to guarantee themselves a .500 record in conference play when they face UCLA on Thursday in Westwood.

– Pekale