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Pac-12 College Basketball Power Rankings: Week 3

Pac-12 College Basketball Power Rankings: Week 3

Arizona Basketball
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We have officially hit the third week of the college basketball season as teams are now fully engaged in the 2014-15 schedule. With preseason non-conference tournaments going on all over the place, now is a time when we can really evaluate each team and see what they are made of. The Pac-12 has been involved in a lot of quality games to start the season, so let's take a look at how they stack up against each other.

12. Washington State (1-2)

Washington State Basketball
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12. Washington State (1-2)

Washington State Basketball
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Cougars check in as the worst team in the Pac-12 after starting the 2014-15 season 1-2. Washington State features high-scoring guard DaVonte Lacy, but they dropped road games at TCU and at UTEP. It figures to be a long season in Pullman this year.

11. USC (2-3)

USC Basketball
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11. USC (2-3)

USC Basketball
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USC figures to be one of the worst power conference teams in the country this season after losing at home to Portland State and dropping two of three games at the Charleston Classic. The Trojans are a very young team under second-year head coach Andy Enfield and should go through plenty of ups and downs this season.

10. Oregon State (3-1)

Oregon State Basketball
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10. Oregon State (3-1)

Oregon State Basketball
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Oregon State is in a rebuilding year under first-year head coach Wayne Tinkle in 2014-15. The Beavers are off to a 3-1 start after losing to Oklahoma State last night at the MGM Grand Main Event Tournament. Oregon State plays Auburn on Wednesday in what should be a very competitive game.

9. Arizona State (3-1)

ASU Basketball
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9. Arizona State (3-1)

ASU Basketball
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Arizona State suffered their first loss of the season last night at the hands of Maryland. The Sun Devils will look to bounce back tonight against Alabama in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic. Arizona State figures to finish near the bottom of the Pac-12 this season after losing several key contributors from a year ago.

8. Washington (3-0)

Washington Basketball
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8. Washington (3-0)

Washington Basketball
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Washington is off to a 3-0 start, but they will have their work cut out for them to finish in the top half of the Pac-12. The Huskies host San Diego State on Dec. 7 in what will be a big test for a young Washington team. Shawn Kemp Jr. could be one of the most improved big men in the conference, as he is averaging 15.7 points per game.

7. Colorado (2-1)

Colorado Basketball
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7. Colorado (2-1)

Colorado Basketball
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The Buffs picked up a quality home win in beating Auburn by 31 points during the Tip-off Marathon, but they slipped up on the road at Wyoming. Wyoming is one of the better mid-major teams, but the fact that Colorado lost by 23 points certainly didn't look good. Colorado has the talent to finish in the top half of the Pac-12, but they will need to play better for that to happen.

6. Oregon (3-1)

Oregon Basketball
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6. Oregon (3-1)

Oregon Basketball
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Oregon has picked up a couple home wins against quality mid-major teams in Detroit and Toledo before losing to Michigan in Brooklyn. Up next for Oregon is a matchup with VCU tonight. Oregon guard Joseph Young is averaging 26 points per game for the Ducks.

5. Utah (2-1)

Utah Basketball
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5. Utah (2-1)

Utah Basketball
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Utah suffered their first loss of the season in a defensive struggle against San Diego State during the Tip-off Marathon. San Diego State is one of the best defensive teams in the nation, but Utah point guard Delon Wright really struggled to shoot the ball. The Utes will have a chance to bounce back when they host Wichita State on Dec. 3.

4. UCLA (4-0)

UCLA Basketball
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4. UCLA (4-0)

UCLA Basketball
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The Bruins have four non-conference home wins as their schedule gets much tougher this week. UCLA is playing in a loaded Battle 4 Atlantis tournament that features Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Georgetown to name a few. UCLA opens up against the Sooners in what should be a very competitive game.

3. Stanford (3-1)

Chasson Randle Stanford
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3. Stanford (3-1)

Chasson Randle Stanford
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Another team that has played two quality opponents, Stanford beat UNLV by 29 points before losing to Duke by 11 in Brooklyn. Duke figures to be one of the four best teams in the country, so there is no shame in that loss. The Cardinal boast one of the strongest starting fives in the conference and should make the NCAA Tournament this year.

2. California (3-1)

Tyrone Wallace Cal
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2. California (3-1)

Tyrone Wallace Cal
Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports

At the moment, Cal has the best win among Pac-12 teams thanks to their 73-59 victory over Syracuse in the 2K Classic. Syracuse isn't as good as in past years, but beating the Orange at Madison Square Garden is no small feat. Cal lost to Texas in the championship game, but showed they could compete with some of the top teams in the country.

1. Arizona Wildcats (4-0)

Arizona Basketball
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1. Arizona Wildcats (4-0)

Arizona Basketball
Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

The No. 2 team in the country, Arizona is clearly the best team in the Pac-12 right now. After three non-conference home wins, the Wildcats travel to Hawaii this week to participate in the Maui Invitational. If things go according to plan, the Wildcats will face a stingy San Diego State team in the championship game.

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