Pac-12 Basketball Power Rankings: A look at conference standings and NCAA tournament chances after Week 15
In the final season of the Pac-12, conference standings are beginning to take shape, as the 2023-24 regular season nears its conclusion with conference tournaments and Selection Sunday less than a month away. The top spot in the conference remains a tightly contested race between the No. 4 Arizona Wildcats and No. 21 Washington State Cougars, who are just half a game back.
The Oregon Ducks and UCLA Bruins remain in the mix as they are 2.0 and 2.5 games back, respectively. With the regular season winding down, here's a look at which Pac-12 teams appear likely to reach the NCAA Tournament this season:
Pac-12 standings
#1: No. 4 Arizona Wildcats - 20-5 (11-3 in conference play)
#2: No. 21 Washington State Cougars - 20-6 (11-4)
#3: Oregon Ducks - 17-8 (9-5)
#4: UCLA Bruins - 14-12 (9-6)
#5: Colorado Buffaloes - 17-9 (8-7)
#T-6: Utah Utes - 16-10 (7-8)
#T-6: Arizona State Sun Devils - 13-13 (7-8)
#T-6: Stanford Cardinal - 12-13 (7-8)
#T-6: California Golden Bears - 11-15 (7-8)
#10: Washington Huskies - 14-12 (6-9)
#11: USC Trojans - 10-16 (4-11)
#12: Oregon State Beavers - 11-15 (3-12)
2024 March Madness predictions for Pac-12 teams
The Pac-12 has just two teams that are ranked in the latest rendition of the AP Top 25 Poll. The No. 4 Arizona Wildcats lead that group and are a lock for March Madness. If the Wildcats can win the Pac-12 Tournament, they will likely claim a No. 1 seed in the tournament.
The No. 21 Washington State Cougars also appear to be a lock for March Madness. It will be difficult for the Cougars to claim a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. If they can defeat the Wildcats on Thursday and put forth a strong performance in the conference tournament, particularly if they can defeat Arizona for a third time, they could help their Selection Sunday case in a big way.
The Oregon Ducks and Colorado Buffaloes appear to have a strong chance of reaching the NCAA Tournament, barring a late-season collapse. However, aside from these four teams, the Pac-12 may not have another team reach the postseason.
The UCLA Bruins, Utah Utes, Arizona State Sun Devils and Washington Huskies have an outside shot of reaching the tournament. While the Bruins have been playing great basketball, they dug themselves into an early hole. The Utes, Sun Devils and Huskies, on the other hand, have struggled in conference play.
Each program will likely need to finish the regular strong and advance deep into the Pac-12 Tournament to reach the postseason.
The Stanford Cardinal, California Golden Bears, USC Trojans and Oregon State Beavers appear likely to be left on the outside looking in, barring a late-season miracle. All four teams sit under .500 as the season nears its conclusion and have struggled in conference play.